


The Dragon That Will Pierce The Heavens 2.0

by DragonPrincess18



Series: The Dragon That Will Pierce The Heavens [1]
Category: Fairy Tail, One Piece
Genre: A Centaur's Life Himeno, Abused!Gina, Abused!Hikari, Abused!Sora, Abusive Parents, Celestial Spirit Wizard, Celestial Spirit Wizards, Celestial Spirits - Freeform, F/M, Fairy Tail Aquarius, Fairy Tail Aries, Fairy Tail Carla, Fairy Tail Celestial Spirits, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, Fairy Tail Elements, Fairy Tail Gemini, Fairy Tail Happy, Fairy Tail Leo, Fairy Tail Pantherlily, Fairy Tail Scorpio, Fairy Tail Virgo, Found Family, M/M, Nice Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama, One Piece Lassoo, One Piece Momoo, One Piece Universe, Polyamorous Character, Polyamorous relationship, Polyamory, Princess Mononoke Moro, Threesome - F/M/M, Tissue Warning, abusive environment, f/m - Freeform, m/m - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:22:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 47
Words: 287,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21707407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonPrincess18/pseuds/DragonPrincess18
Summary: When Hikari set out to sea, she never dreamed of the adventures that awaited her. Meeting Monkey D. Luffy sets her down a path that will rewrite the very laws of the stars, and she finds herself enjoying the chaos along the way.*The Explicit scene in Chapter 23 has been removed and placed in 'Courtship Of A Dragon'**Beginning in the Heartfilia Arc, there are strong themes of abuse*This story is definitely inspired by This Bites! by Xomniac, mostly up to Enies Lobby. After that, things veer off in a different direction!
Relationships: Eustass Kid/Monkey D. Luffy, Eustass Kid/Original Character(s), Eustass Kid/Original Female Character(s), Eustass Kid/Roronoa Zoro, Eustass Kid/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Franky/Nico Robin, Kaya/Usopp (One Piece), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Monkey D. Luffy/Eustass Kid/Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy/Eustass Kid/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Monkey D. Luffy/Eustass Kid/Trafalgar D. Water Law/Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Character(s), Monkey D. Luffy/Original Character(s)/Eustass Kid, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Character(s)/Eustass Kid/Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Character(s)/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Character(s)/Trafalgar D. Water Law/Eustass Kid, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Character(s)/Trafalgar D. Water Law/Eustass Kid/Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Character(s)/Trafalgar D. Water Law/Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Female Character(s), Monkey D. Luffy/Original Female Character(s)/Eustass Kid, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Female Character(s)/Eustass Kid/Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Female Character(s)/Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Female Character(s)/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Female Character(s)/Trafalgar D. Water Law/Eustass Kid, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Female Character(s)/Trafalgar D. Water Law/Eustass Kid/Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Female Character(s)/Trafalgar D. Water Law/Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy/Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy/Roronoa Zoro/Original Character(s), Monkey D. Luffy/Roronoa Zoro/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Nami/Nefertari Vivi, Roronoa Zoro/Original Character(s), Roronoa Zoro/Original Character(s)/Eustass Kid, Roronoa Zoro/Original Character(s)/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Roronoa Zoro/Original Female Character(s), Roronoa Zoro/Original Female Character(s)/Eustass Kid, Roronoa Zoro/Original Female Character(s)/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Roronoa Zoro/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Trafalgar D. Water Law/Original Character(s), Trafalgar D. Water Law/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Dragon That Will Pierce The Heavens [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727794
Comments: 855
Kudos: 405
Collections: oc self insertSI





	1. Romance Dawn Arc: Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone!
> 
> I was not completely happy with how things were going, so I started this rewrite and decided to put it separately. Things will be paced differently, and new characters might be introduced while others I put in before might not show up, but I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Sincerely,  
> DragonPrincess18

The ocean glittered in greens and golds with each gentle roll, a bright turquoise under a cloudless blue sky, and Hikari tipped her face up into a salty breeze as it rolled along the sail of her little boat, rocking gently side to side.

Long pink curls tangled over her bare shoulder, darkened from exposure to the beaming sun overhead and contrasting with the white tank top she had donned that morning, thumbs hooking into the pockets of her jean shorts as light glinted off the metal fairy charm and the soft-pointed star hanging at her hip attached to a simple keyring.

Pulling out a compass, dark eyes flicked up to check the placement of her rigging before scanning the horizon on all sides.

 _Can never be too safe_ , she reasoned, shielding her eyes with one hand. _He could have_ -

A dark shape caught her eye, almost hidden in the glare off the water, and Hikari squinted.

_Is that…?_

Well, it certainly was too small to be a ship, even at such a significant distance, and if she looked closer, it seemed to be missing a sail...

A frown pulled at her mouth as the pinkette adjusted her course, gaze riveted on that dark spot as it slowly grew larger and more defined.

Bobbing aimlessly, the rowboat drifted up on her port side, no mast or rudder in sight and only an empty barrel within, a boy sprawled over it.

He was roughly Hikari's age, perhaps a touch younger, with messy dark hair under an old straw hat and a scar curving under a closed eye, barely protected from the elements by a red vest and rolled-up jeans and sandals.

“Shit.” She cursed when he failed to so much as twitch at her approach, throwing a rope to lash their small crafts together and vaulting over. “Hey, are you okay? Come on, please just be sleeping…”

Pressing a hand to his throat, Hikari closed her eyes in relief at a steady pulse under her fingertips, rocking back on the balls of her feet with a sigh.

 _Probably passed out_ , she reasoned, taking in the effectively empty little vessel. _No food, no water...He’s lucky I came along before he starved to death._

Grabbing under both arms, the pinkette hauled him over and into the tiny cabin of her own boat, where a simple cot was stationed for what short naps she allowed herself while out at sea alone.

With a pause at the reminder, and very aware that even the ‘weakest’ of the four Blues had plenty of pirates, Hikari pulled one of a pair of leather-bound steel handles off the back of her belt, a smooth metal length telescoping out to a wickedly-sharp point with a flick of the wrist, and tapped a thumb against the six keys hanging between the charms at her hip, two a bright gold and the other four a well-polished but more muted silver.

They rang back in high, clear notes of reassurance as Hikari turned to grab a cloth from her pack on the floor, carefully wetting it from a canteen to blot the boy’s forehead-

Hikari squeaked when her supposed patient suddenly jackknifed upright, nearly toppling backward to avoid smashing foreheads, and he rubbed at both eyes with a jaw-cracking yawn.

“Mm...Oh, hi!”

“Hi.” She parroted back, one hand on the ring of keys at her hip and the other falling away with her tonfa in confusion. “Are you...okay?”

“Of course I am!” He replied, grinning wide enough the pinkette was amazed his cheeks failed to tear. “That was a great nap! Hey, is this your ship?”

“It’s a boat.” Hikari corrected in a deadpan, and he just chuckled.

“It’s awesome!”

“Oi, were you seriously sleeping out here all by yourself?” She redirected, deciding to ignore the strange declaration.

“Yup! I was _really_ hungry, so I was dreaming about meat until I could find some!”

“Excellent strategy.” The older girl drawled, mouth tugging faintly into a smile. “A-plus for effort. Here, I’ve got some-”

She paused, blinking at where shreds of jerky had sat in her hand only seconds before, and the boy licked his lips with a smack.

“Yum! Thanks!”

“No problem.” She muttered, deciding not to focus on what had happened. “Are you heading somewhere specific?”

“Don’t know!” He answered cheerfully, sitting cross-legged on the cot and rocking side to side. “Wanted to see where the wind took me!”

“...Right. I’m Hikari, by the way.”

“Hi, Kari!” He chirped back, offering a hand to shake. “I’m Monkey D Luffy! I'm gonna be-"

A deep, ominous rumble drowned out his voice, and Hikari's eyes went wide before she lurched forward-

The floor seemed to dip underneath her for a moment before suddenly bursting, like a balloon full of water stuck with a pin, and there was no time to scream as a rubbery mass enveloped her, flipping and spinning and twisting until-

Lungs spasming back into working order, Hikari coughed out a breath into the lingering dust falling around her and blinked blearily as noises filtered back through.

Wood creaked weakly, splinters falling with a clatter, and she was surprised at the lack of pain when Luffy pulled back from shielding her, revealing a thoroughly-trashed kitchen under the remains of their boats, pieces of the ceiling still crumbling down and cookware scattered across the floor.

“Well, that was unexpected.” She muttered, accepting Luffy’s hand to sit up and shaking debris out of her mussed ponytail, a hand falling to check her other tonfa and keys were still safely in place.

“What the...What just happened?”

Glasses askew on his face, a slightly-younger boy stared at them safely out of the danger zone, dull pink hair mussed from the commotion and eyes wide.

“Shit, are you okay?” Hikari realized, rolling onto her feet and noting the three men thoroughly buried under their landing. “Oh, whoops. Sorry.”

“Run, hurry!” The boy burst, voice cracking in his urgency. “If their friends find you, you’ll be killed!”

“But man, I sure am hungry!” Luffy declared, not so much as acknowledging his outburst as he started wandering around, opening what cupboards remained and rolling out drawers in search of food.

“How can you be so carefree?!”

“My guess? Liberal application of gravity to the head.” Hikari muttered, clicking her tonfa back into its handle and hanging it on her belt once more.

“There are still lots more of them up on deck!” The boy warned, seeming on the edge of some sort of fit, and a giggle bubbled up from deep in her chest as Luffy rooted around like a squirrel for nuts.

“Somehow, I don’t think that bothers him.”

“Food!”

This declaration brought focus to a pair of double doors as they flew open, Luffy rushing through like a bloodhound on the scent of a fleeing fox.

“Food! Food! Yes! Food!”

“Actually, they may not find us in here.” The boy realized, herding Hikari after and shutting the door firmly behind them.

“You’re supposed to peel those.” She noted dryly as Luffy stuffed a whole potato in his mouth. “And cook them.”

“My name is Koby.” The pink-haired boy introduced himself, taking the pair in with some befuddlement, and the pinkette tipped her head with a smile as Luffy stuffed his face without acknowledgement of anyone’s presence.

“Hey, Koby. I’m Hikari, and the guy eating raw asparagus is Luffy.”

“That was incredible just now!” Koby burst, as if truly processing what was going on and no longer afraid of some form of rejection. “How did you do that?”

“These things are great!” Luffy praised, tossing a tomato into his gaping maw, and Hikari rubbed the bridge of her nose with a resigned sigh. “Is this a pirate ship?”

“No, it’s a passenger ship that’s being raided by Alvida-sama.”

“Those guys are pirates?” She clarified, jerking a thumb back over her shoulder. “Well, I’m hardly impressed…”

“It doesn’t matter.” Luffy agreed, rooting out a crate of apples. “Do you know if there are any boats on board?”

“I think so…” Koby hedged, unsure, and Hikari almost groaned in frustration.

“Damn, you’re right. Both our boats were blown to splinters...We must have crossed an active geyser or something…”

“You mean _that_ geyser?” Koby yelped, eyes bugging in alarm. “No one could survive that!”

“Since when did I die and feed the fish?” She wondered blandly, Luffy cackling in agreement.

“Boy, that was a real surprise! Are you one of those pirates, too?”

Koby was visibly taken aback before deflating, shoulders slumping inward and spine bowing as if under a great weight.

“It was on that fateful day...That day, I got in a boat on the outskirts of town to go fishing, but it turned out the boat was actually headed for a pirate ship. It’s been two years since...In exchange for my life, I’ve been forced to be a chore boy.”

“Man, you’re dumb _and_ stupid!”

SMACK!

“Look who’s talking.” Hikari scolded as the straw-hat boy pouted, rubbing where he had been struck upside the head.

“You’re brutally honest…” Koby sniffled acceptingly, too beaten-down to have any fight.

“If you don’t like it, then run away!” Luffy stated easily, and the younger boy straightened like he had been suddenly pricked by a needle.

“I can’t! No way! No way! Just the thought of Alvida-sama finding me frightens me and makes me weak in the knees-”

“Oh, you’re a wimp, too?” Luffy cut in, laughing. “Man, I hate you!”

BAM!

“Do you even know who Alvida is?” Hikari admonished, frowning now. “Iron Mace Alvida might not be the strongest pirate in the East Blue, but her mace is about as big as he is. One good whack, and he’ll be a nice red goo on the deck.”

“If only I had the courage to ride a geyser…” Koby murmured, and she eyed him in disbelief.

“Do you actually have a survival instinct or not, kid?”

“There’s actually something I want to do, too.” The boy continued, as if not registering her words. “Um, what compelled you to set out onto the sea, Hikari-san, Luffy-san?”

“Freedom.” The pinkette answered immediately, a hand falling to the keyring on her hip, and Luffy lit up with a carefree grin.

“I’m gonna be Pirate King!”

This declaration had Hikari turning to him, reassessing, as Koby’s jaw dropped to the floor like an anchor.

“P-P-Pirate King?”

“Yep.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

“Wait, you’re a pirate, Luffy-san?”

“Yep.”

“What about your crew?”

“I’m looking for one. Hey, Kari, you wanna be part of my crew?”

Blinking owlishly, Hikari rolled her eyes and deflated on a sigh.

“Why not?”

Koby jerked forward, disbelief propelling him through the strange aside.

“Pirate King is the title given to the person who obtains everything in this world! That means seeking the great treasure of wealth, fame and power, the One Piece!”

“Yup!” Luffy agreed cheerfully, which further frazzled the other boy.

“ _Yup_? Pirates all over the world are after that treasure!”

“Us, too!”

“I don’t know how I got involved in this…” Hikari muttered, wondering what she had done to end up in this situation, as Koby exploded.

“No way! No way, no way, no way! Absolutely no way! There’s no way you can stand at the apex of this Great Pirate Era! No way! No way!”

Luffy’s fist cracked onto his head, and she glanced skyward for patience.

“Why did you hit me?”

“Just because.”

“You’re both children, and I have no idea how you’ve survived this long without losing something.” Hikari decided, arms crossing in an unimpressed stance as Koby sniffled.

“It’s alright...I’m used to it now…”

“It’s not about whether I can or not.” Luffy explained, not so much subdued as steady, removing his straw hat to consider the woven material fondly. “I’m gonna do it because I want to. I’ve decided to be Pirate King, so if I die fighting for that, that’s fine with me!”

His conviction resonated with a note inside her soul, keys jingling just once in solidarity, and Hikari turned her head to hide a smile.

“Now then! My belly’s full, guess we’ll go get us a boat!” Luffy decided, hopping to his feet.

“You have the attention span of a goldfish.” She drawled, amused, and he just grinned.

“I wonder if they’ll give me one if I ask!”

“My guess? No.”

“Do you suppose I can do it, too?”

Koby’s sudden interjection pulled their attention around from the door, fingers clenched tight into the heavy fabric of his shorts and jaw wobbling.

“If I’m prepared to die for it?”

“Do what?” Luffy pressed, intrigued.

“Do you think...even I could join the Navy?”

“The Navy?” Hikari echoed, hands on hips and keys jangling in thought.

“Yes!” He confirmed fiercely, suddenly animated all over again. “Catching bad guys is my dream! It’s been my dream ever since I was little! Do you think I can do it?”

“How should I know?” Luffy wondered, head snapping forward at the dope-slap Hikari applied to the back. “Ow! What?”

“No! I’ll do it!” Koby decided, resolute. “If I’m gonna be a chore boy for the rest of my life, then I’ll break out of here and catch even Alvida-sama-No, Alvida!”

And then the ceiling caved in.

Hikari had never seen someone go from such confidence to pants-shittingly scared so quickly, though it was hard to blame him when a boulder of a woman crashed through wood and plaster directly at his back like a golem rising from the dust.

“You’re gonna team up with them to catch _who_?”

Grabbing up her tonfa, Hikari spun them out to full length and held the points ready as Koby scrambled to hide behind her.

“Huh, Koby?!” The woman who could only be Alvida demanded, swinging her heavy iron club around in a threatening arc.

Hikari’s weight shifted instinctively, shielding Koby and slipping a key into one hand, and Luffy tilted his head to consider her before Alvida continued.

“You don’t seem to be Zoro, the pirate hunter...And the harlot hardly seems like a threat.”

“You sound very secure in yourself.” The pinkette deadpanned, expression flat. “I’m sure you have no deep-seated issues of any kind.”

“Koby!” Alvida barked, nearly startling said boy out of his skin. “Who’s the most beautiful of all on these seas?”

Koby stammered frantically, knees knocking like castanets.

“Of course that would be-”

“Who’s this big chunky lady?”

A snort of laughter escaped Hikari in the sudden silence, biting down on a cascade of snickers at the expression on Alvida’s face at Luffy’s blunt question.

“YOU RUNT!”

The straw-hat boy blinked when the spiked mace stopped bare inches from his head, caught on the smooth edge of Hikari’s tonfa, and she hooked a leg over Alvida’s arm to twist the other into a throw that took down a wall.

“Careful where you swing that thing.” The pink-haired girl scolded, brushing back her heavy ponytail. “Someone could get hurt.”

Koby’s jaw audibly dropped, along with those of their audience watching from overhead, as Luffy grinned extra wide.

“Come on, we’re taking this outside.”

Pointing her weapons up towards the ceiling, Hikari twisted the handles and pressed the hidden triggers that appeared, firing the points out like harpoons that lodged into the wood with heavy THUNKS before the trailing cords went taut.

A flex of her arms, and Hikari was sent slingshotting across the room, slamming her feet into a rising Alvida’s torso to angle more upward and out through the entrance that had been forcibly made.

Twisting in midair, she retracted the points with another flick of the handles and came down on an unsuspecting pirate’s head with a CRACK as both tonfa made contact.

Laughter echoed from below as she rose, a silver key in hand when Luffy leaped out after her, dropping a stunned Koby on wooden legs before punching a second pirate full in the face.

“Key-holder!” One of the stunned men shouted in warning when Hikari raised the silver piece, ethereal light pulsing off the bladed length.

“Open, Gate of the Tres Felis! PANTHERLILY!”

Luffy oohed at the bright light of an opening Gate, and the hulking form that burst from within, sleek dark fur rolling over heavy muscle as the cat-man hefted a massive red-bladed sword that easily parried the five men that tried to charge in with blades of their own.

“SO COOL!” Luffy cheered, punching a man clear off his feet, and Hikari could not help a smile as she blocked another’s kick with a tonfa, cracking the blunt side across his face.

“You think so?”

“You’re a _key-holder_?” Koby sputtered in disbelief, yelping when Pantherlily picked up a charging pirate and tossed him into a gaggle of them regrouping nearby.

“It’s not fair to attack from behind!” Luffy lectured, pausing when he realized quite a few more had gathered without him noticing. “It’s not fair to attack all at once!”

“Luffy!”

Hikari cursed as he ran past, sweeping a man’s legs out from underneath him as Pantherlily body-checked another that was trying to attack from behind, turning as Luffy passed the mast-

And stretched.

Everyone seemed to stop, gob-smacked, as his arm tensed like a rubber band for another yard or so before the straw-hatted pirate turned around with a grin.

“Gotcha. Gum Gum Rocket!”

With a snap, he indeed rocketed through his unsuspecting former attackers, and Hikari looked over the deck of downed pirates in amazement as Pantherlily shouldered his blade, rounded ears twitching in amusement.

“Luffy-san, what _are_ you?” Koby sputtered, looking at both of them as if this was some sort of dream.

“Me? I’m a rubber person!” Luffy answered cheerfully, pulling at his mouth so the grin there spread unnaturally wide.

“A rubber person? You can’t be serious!”

“You’ve eaten a Devil’s Fruit, haven’t you?”

With a squeak, Koby hid behind his savior as Hikari and Pantherlily moved to flank Luffy, eyeing Alvida warily.

“Yeah! The Gum-Gum Fruit!” He answered easily, completely unconcerned in the face of someone who must have been at least quadruple his size.

“I don’t even want to know why you ate it.” The pinkette drawled, a snort escaping Pantherlily as he studied the young pirate.

“I see. I’d heard the rumors, but I guess they really _do_ exist.” Alvida noted, pointedly ignoring this byplay. “You also seem pretty skilled. You a bounty hunter?”

“I’m a pirate!” Luffy retorted, happily brushing off any less-criminal explanation.

“A pirate? Ha! All by yourself?”

“Kari is my first crewmember!” The straw-hat boy supplied, beaming with pride. “And all her cool friends, too! But I’ll find some more sooner or later!”

“So we’re pirates now?” Pantherlily noted in a deep voice, the scar stretching over his left eye crinkling with a smile, and she shrugged.

“Why not?”

“Yeah, ten crewmen sounds good to me!” Luffy decided, as if that was not a rather small crew even in the East Blue.

“Ah, so you’re a pirate too, huh?” Alvida sneered pointedly to the younger woman, who merely rolled her eyes as Pantherlily cocked a brow, grip flexing on his Bustermarm. “Then that means you and me are enemies, huh?”

“Luffy-san, Hikari-san, let’s get out of here!” Koby begged, shaking inside and out like a leaf in a hurricane, and Luffy glanced at him, smile falling away.

“Why?”

“You saw how powerful her club is! In these waters, she’s the most-”

But then he paused, a moment of clarity breaking through the fear, and Hikari saw the cogs turning behind his eyes.

“The most what?” Alvida pressed, like she must have hundreds of times before to break the boy down.

“The…”

With a chatter of teeth and a clenched jaw, Koby grabbed onto two years’ worth of resentment with both hands and exploded.

“THE MOST UGLY, CRAGGED OLD HAG EVER!!!”

Luffy burst into enthusiastic peals of laughter into the stunned silence that answered him, and Hikari had to hide her snickers behind a tonfa as Pantherlily smirked, chest rumbling with amusement.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY!?!”

“I’m going to join the Navy!” Koby shouted back, pumping with adrenaline now that he had broken through the paralyzing terror. “And then I’m gonna beat up pirates!”

“Do you even know what you’re saying?!” Alvida retorted, rage building in the face of such blatant disrespect.

“I do! I’m gonna do what _I_ want to do! I’m gonna-I’m gonna join the Navy, and catch your lousy ass!”

“YOU DAMN PIPSQUEAK!!!”

Metal crashed against metal as the heavy mace met the crossed barrier of Hikari’s tonfa, stopping inches from Koby’s face, as Pantherlily moved in to shove the pirate captain back.

“You’re not laying a hand on him as long as I’m around.” The pinkette swore, and Luffy nodded, throwing his fist back as far as the arm would stretch.

“Well said! Gum Gum Pistol!”

A snap, and Hikari felt the impact in her bones as Alvida was sent flying right off the deck and into the distance.

 _He might just be Pirate King after all_.

“Hey!”

The pirates watching from their nearby ship jumped to attention at Luffy’s shout.

“Give Koby a small boat! He’s gonna join the Navy! Keep your mouths shut and let him go!”

“R-Right!”

“Thanks for the help, Lily.” Hikari voiced, tonfa collapsing into their handles as she hung them back on her belt, and said Spirit dipped his head.

“It’s always an honor to fight beside you, hime.”

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?” She wondered, mildly annoyed, and Pantherlily shrugged as he faded back through his Gate in a shower of starlight.

“When you stop calling me Lily.”

Unable to help a laugh, Hikari shook her head as Koby glanced between her and where the Spirit had once stood, confused.

“So I guess that means ‘never’.”

Water exploded off the port side, and then again on the starboard side past where the pirate ship was still tethered, causing the deck to buck and roll under their feet suddenly.

“Shit.” She cursed, glancing out at the water to see a fleet had arrived, too late to have been of any use even without their intervention. “It’s the Navy.”

“Oh, perfect timing!” Luffy declared, grinning as he swung over the railing onto a dinghy that must have been left behind by the evacuating passengers. “You should go see ‘em, Koby! But we’re pirates!”

“Oi, wait up!” Hikari snapped, grabbing the panicking boy by the back of his shirt and hurling him into the dinghy ahead of her.

Their added weight caused the entire thing to fall with a mighty SPLASH into the water between ships, sail unfurling when the knots jerked loose, and the pinkette yanked on the rigging so it caught the wind and pulled them safely out of danger.

“Whew, that was fun!” Luffy declared once the entire tableau was out of sight behind them, and Hikari slumped on the wooden bench with a sigh.

“I’m glad you thought so…”

“Um, Luffy-san…” Koby spoke up, finding his voice again now that their escape was secured. “If you’re heading for the One Piece, that means you and Hikari-san are going to the Grand Line, right?”

“Yeah.”

“That place is also referred to as a pirate graveyard, you know.”

“Thank you for mentioning that.” Hikari drawled, head resting on the raised side of their little vessel and eyes closed to bask in the sunlight. “Everyone likes to hear about their possible death. It’s very encouraging.”

“That’s why I need a strong crew.” Luffy stated, rocking side to side and not at all bothered, and she gave him a sideways glance.

“You’re off to a bad start.”

“Don’t be silly! Kari’s plenty strong! Anyway, what about that pirate hunter guy? What’s he like?”

“A hunter of pirates?” She offered flatly, shifting a moment at the easy praise, as Koby perked up.

“You mean Zoro? I heard he’s being held prisoner at a Navy base.”

“Aw, he’s a weakling?” Luffy whined, pouting, and she reached out to smack his shoulder.

“Of course not. He’s called the Demon of East Blue for a reason.”

“Why are you asking about him?” Koby wondered, cautious, and Luffy shrugged.

“Thought I might have him join my crew if he’s a good guy!”

“You should have expected that.” Hikari noted, unable to hide her amusement at Koby’s slack-jawed disbelief.

“You’re being reckless again!”

“It’s probably going to become a habit.”

“C’mon, he might be a good guy! Right, Kari?”

“Sure, why not?”

“He’s been caught because he’s a bad guy! No! No way, no way, no way! Absolutely no-”

BAM!

“Wh-Why did you hit me?”

“Just because.”

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Hikari fought down a giggle.

 _Honestly_.


	2. Romance Dawn Arc: Part 2

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

Hikari knew this very well, had seen her own carefully-laid schemes fall apart at the slightest deviation from the expected, and so was not too upset at seeing her latest one effectively smashed to pieces by Luffy’s sudden arrival in her life.

So long as she still had her tonfa and keys, there was no trouble that could not be overcome with some ingenuity, applied determination and a bit of help.

“We made it!” Luffy crowed, leaping out onto the dock before they were even moored. “The Navy base city!”

 _And I’m going to need every bit to survive with this idiot as my captain_ , Hikari thought with some fondness, tying their dinghy securely before swinging over the side onto dry land.

Shells Town was a colorful, cheerful jumble of buildings and twisting cobblestone roads falling down the slope to greet them at the shore, topped by a mountainous grey block of stone with ‘Marine’ emblazoned across it for all to see, bustling with midday business.

“Seriously, Luffy-san, you’re crazy to want him to join you!” Koby stated as he scrambled after the straw-hat boy, repeating what had been said their entire journey.

“When did you notice?” Hikari drawled, following them up the main street with a snicker. “When he ate a raw potato, or when he called Alvida chunky?”

“I still haven’t decided yet.” Luffy replied, flipping a beli to a stall owner after trying out a pear. “I just wanna see if he’s a good guy.”

“He’s been caught because he’s a bad guy!”

“You keep saying that, but I don’t think he believes you.” The pinkette pointed out, gaze lifting to the base with a blank, unreadable look.

 _And neither do I_.

“Do you know if Zoro’s at the base?”

A good yard of road around them suddenly cleared, the happy citizens abruptly pressing against nearby walls and hiding behind stalls like startled cats, and Hikari grabbed both boys by the collar to drag them away.

“Careful.”

“Well, let’s check out the base anyway.” Luffy decided, straightening once released, as Koby stumbled along. “You’re gonna be a marine, right?”

“Yes, but I’m not really ready yet...Rumor has it a guy named Captain Morgan is at this base, and-”

Between one blink and the next, the citizens had once again vacated the immediate area like a school of fish might the water around a hungry shark, and Hikari frowned now.

“What a funny town!” Luffy decided, not even breaking stride, while Koby grew visibly worried.

“It’s strange! I understand Zoro, but why are they afraid of a Navy Captain’s name?”

“For a very good reason.” The pinkette warned, keys jingling against her hip.

“I suddenly feel very uneasy about this…” Koby confessed now, a bit pale.

“You sure they didn’t jump just for fun?” Luffy wondered, causing the younger boy to snap back.

“Nobody would do that!”

Whether either was right or wrong was soon forgotten once they came upon the main gate, emblazoned just as the wall was, and Koby’s melancholy melted away.

“I’m finally here! I guess this is where we part ways, Luffy-san, Hikari-san…”

Arms crossed, Hikari watched as Luffy scaled the wall rather than approach the door, completely ignoring the other boy’s attempt at a heartfelt farewell.

“Upsy-daisy!”

“Luffy-san, what in the world are you doing?! Hikari-san, stop him!”

The pinkette scoffed, mouth quirking into a smirk.

“I don’t think you’ve caught onto our dynamic here, kid.”

“Now, where’s this demon?” Luffy mused, elbows hooked over the wall and one hand shielding his eyes further from the glare, and Koby scowled.

“He wouldn’t be out here. I’m sure he’s in a prison cell or something…”

“There he is!”

Hikari blinked sharply at this declaration as he dropped to run along the wall, following at a more sedate, thoughtful pace.

“Really?”

That hardly made sense, given the man’s reputation, to just leave him out in the open to possibly free himself…

“See! There he is!”

Hefting herself up this shorter section of wall, Hikari took in the sight beyond in surprise.

A courtyard spread past the stone, walled in on the other three sides by barbed wire fences, the ground a dry dust that was kicked up by every errant breeze, and in the center was a heavy wooden cross where none other than Roronoa Zoro was tethered.

Tied by elbows and waist, even the forced slouch showed he was a good half-foot taller than her and certainly more heavily muscled than Luffy, a dark bandana tied over his head in contrast to his battered white shirt and heavy pants, a lighter haramaki around his waist where swords should hang empty.

“He can get away easy if we untie those ropes.” Luffy noted, and poor Koby could not have looked more scandalized.

“Don’t be stupid! There’s no telling what’ll happen if we let him loose!”

“He could say thank you.” Hikari deadpanned, arms crossing over the stone to make a softer resting place for her chin.

“I bet he’d try to kill you, Luffy-san, Hikari-san!”

“That would be horribly ungrateful of him.”

“Don’t worry, we’re strong!” Luffy assured cheerfully, and she slid him an unimpressed glance.

“You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”

“Hey, you.”

The sudden deep voice broke through the somewhat comical moment, all three turning as the swordsman barely deigned to lift his head for a glare.

“You’re an eyesore. Get lost!”

Hikari pulled back, brow furrowing in consideration and a flash of guilt.

_How would it feel to be trussed up out here, being gawked at?_

“Luffy-san, there’s no way you could survive with him on your crew!” Koby hissed out through clenched teeth, trying to hide without fully retreating, when his attention was brought around by the soft click of wood on stone.

Climbing the ladder now resting at an angle against the wall, a little girl with dark hair and a striped dress pressed a finger to her lips before swinging herself over into the courtyard, a cloth bundle held safely to her chest.

Slapping a hand over Koby’s mouth, the pinkette watched as this fearless child trotted across the empty courtyard right up to the greatly-feared Demon of the East Blue, smiling brightly.

“What?” Zoro spoke up after a moment, as if trying to be stern but too tired and surprised to do so.

“You must be hungry!” The girl claimed, holding out her package like Hikari had seen other children do when showing off some project they had completed. “I made you some rice balls!”

“Do you wanna get killed, pipsqueak?” The swordsman snapped back, surprise melting away to something sharper, though the edge seemed dulled. “Scram!”

“You haven’t eaten anything this whole time.” She argued, unwrapping the cloth to reveal a pair of somewhat-misshapen rice balls, and Hikari felt a little knot twist in her chest. “Here! This is my first time, but I worked really hard to make them!”

“I ain’t hungry!” Zoro bit out, throat working as if he was also swallowing around a sudden obstruction like Hikari was. “You’re an eyesore! Get the hell outta here!”

“But…”

“I don’t want ‘em! Don’t make me kick your ass!”

“It’s not nice to be a bully!”

A gate had opened unexpectedly off to her right, and Hikari tore her eyes away to study the three men now approaching the scene, eyes narrowing.

Two were dressed as basic marine soldiers, in the white and blue uniform with matching caps, but the third was a tall, skinny, almost gangly blonde in a pretentious purple suit with a cane swinging in one hand like the decoration it was.

“You seem surprisingly well, Roronoa Zoro.” The mushroom-cut blonde continued in his nasally voice, butt-chin tipped up arrogantly as if asking to be punched.

“Now there’s another weird guy.” Luffy noted, head tilting like a curious pup, as Koby wrenched free of Hikari’s hand in relief.

“Thank goodness! He must be with the Navy! Now that girl will be safe!”

 _I really doubt that_ , the pinkette thought to herself as the blonde came closer.

“Oh? Those are some tasty-looking rice balls.”

The girl protested when one was plucked from her grip and tossed into his maw, though any enjoyment was short-lived, given the man’s sudden sputtering and spitting.

“Too damn sweet! Those’re full of sugar! You’re supposed to use salt for rice balls!”

“But I thought they might taste better sweet…”

She cried out when the rest of her offering was dashed onto the ground, and Hikari felt a hot well of rage fill her chest as the girl begged him to stop stomping it into dirt.

Luffy clamped a hand on her shoulder, and it was then the pinkette realized she had nearly thrown herself over the wall, teeth bared as if to rip the man’s throat out.

If the straw-hat boy was even just a tad weaker, he would not have been able to hold her back when the blonde straightened haughtily, pulling a parchment from his inner suit jacket.

“Did you not read this notice? Those who help criminals will be executed! Navy Captain Morgan.”

The poor girl blanched at this, and his snicker forced Luffy to wrap a rubbery arm around Hikari’s entire torso to keep her in place.

“Looks like even little brats know how scary my dad is! You. Throw this kid out.”

The marine actually jolted back, stunned, and Koby gasped wordlessly.

“Sir?”

“I said throw her over the wall!” He repeated, getting into the burlier sailor’s face. “Or can you not follow my orders? Don’t make me tell my dad!”

“Y-Yes, sir! Right away!”

The marine was clearly reluctant, but picked the little girl up all the same and-

Freed of Luffy’s coils, Hikari pushed off the wall with both legs and caught her around the waist, curling in to take the full impact of their fall and rolling to absorb the momentum.

“Are you okay?” The pinkette worried, earning a sniffle as Koby raced up.

“Yes, I think so…”

“Are you alright, Hikari-san?”

“I’m fine.” She brushed off, handing the girl over. “Stay with her.”

“O-Okay!”

Returning to where Luffy still hung from the wall, the pinkette pulled herself back up to better hear what was being said in the courtyard.

“Damn you…” Zoro ground out lowly against the Captain’s son’s high-pitched laughter, silver eyes flashing in the shadows of his bandana.

“You sure are stubborn about staying alive.”

“Yeah, I _will_ live the full month.” The swordsman swore, fierce as a caged tiger, but the other man brushed it aside as only a fool could.

“Well, good luck with that.”

“Ten days left, you know.”

“Assuming you can live that long!”

The gate closed with a CLANG, and Luffy swung himself into the courtyard moments later, ignoring her muffled protest as Hikari scrambled to follow.

 _The idiot’s trying to get shot_ , she thought irritably, actually checking there were no guards or possible lookouts along the walls or nearby buildings as Luffy made his approach without a care in the world.

“I hear you’re a bad guy.”

“Are you still here?” Zoro shot back, sounding almost tired.

“Being stuck out here for all to see…” The straw-hat boy mused, rocking back on his heels. “Are you really strong at all?”

“Mind your own business!”

“If it were me, I’d probably starve to death in three days!”

“You barely survive between meals as it is.” Hikari drawled, stopping by the ruined rice ball and frowning.

“I got more spirit than you.” Zoro noted, smile a touch bloody where his parched lips had cracked. “I _will_ live through this, I swear it.”

“What a strange person…” Luffy decided, Hikari rolling her eyes as she turned away.

“Like you have any room to talk.”

“Wait!”

Pulling up short, she glanced back at the bound swordsman, who tipped his head to the rice lying at her feet.

“Give it here.”

“You’re gonna eat that?” Luffy clarified, eyebrows rising in surprise. “It’s mostly a mud ball now.”

“Just shut up and give it here!”

That knot in her chest loosened, no longer a strangling hold in the throat blocking air with hurt and rage, and Hikari bent to gather every last grain, carefully ridding it of what dirt she could with her fingers as she stepped closer.

There was no hesitation when Zoro leaned in to accept the offering, a certain pragmatism showing through given his bound state, and Hikari felt a strange tingle wash over her skin when chapped lips brushed her calloused palms to get the last pieces.

“It was good.” The swordsman said after swallowing, face shadowed by his bandana, as she stepped back. “Thanks.”

Only able to nod, fingers flexing with some uncertainty, Hikari turned away to see the smile on Luffy’s face.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Really?” Rika voiced hopefully, peering up at Luffy from his seat on a crate in this alleyway, and the straw-hat boy grinned.

“Yeah! He ate every last bite!”

Stuffing a piece of mango in her mouth, Hikari studiously ignored how and why that had happened, as well as not thinking of the events leading up to the rice ball’s undeserved fate on the ground.

She had wanted to go after that damn Captain’s son and turn him inside-out, not only for daring to hurt a little girl but also clearly taking advantage of a bound man, but knew better than to get on the wrong side of the Navy without a solid plan.

“Is Zoro really as evil as the rumors say?” Koby wondered, subdued as he remembered the strange scene, and Rika turned to him with a scowl like thunder.

“No! After all, he let himself get crucified in our place!”

“What.”

The poor boy froze like a mouse that caught whiff of a prowling cat at the dangerous blankness in Hikari’s voice, though Luffy seemed to only note it distractedly as Rika nodded.

“It’s all that Helmeppo’s fault. He’s Captain Morgan’s son…”

And she told the story of how this Captain’s son had gotten a wild wolf for a pet and taken it on ‘walks’ around Shells Town without leash or guide, terrorizing the citizens and threatening any who tried to fend off an attack with execution until bursting into the restaurant Rika’s mother owned, the very establishment that they sat in the back of.

As it gobbled down food and frightened customers, the girl had tried to bat the beast away with a broom, but it was Zoro’s quick actions that saved her from certain death, despite Helmeppo’s tantrum.

But Roronoa Zoro was not a man to be impressed or intimidated by a man’s reputation, let alone the reputation of a man’s father, and only Helmeppo’s devious mind had saved him from being cut down immediately, offering that if the swordsman survived a month on the cross that Rika and her mother would not be executed for defying him.

“It’s been three weeks since then.” Rika sniffled, guilt clear in her watery eyes. “Helmeppo punches and kicks him while he’s tied up! I...I…”

If she had been angry before, now Hikari was _furious_.

For anyone to take such advantage of their position, endangering people’s lives for sport and reveling in their terror...

BANG!

The sudden racket from inside did not so much break her fury as focus it, and wisely, no one tried to stop Hikari as she stalked into the kitchens and towards the restaurant beyond.

“I’m hungry! Let us all eat for free!”

Helmeppo’s nasally voice raised her hackles where he was slouched at a table, feet thrown up and upending a centerpiece without care, as people scrambled to appease him.

“Hey! Bring me some booze! Quit dawdling! Hurry it up!”

Knuckles going white, Hikari held herself in place with iron control, blood rushing in her ears and vision tinting red as if anticipating the violence she longed to unleash on this man and everything he represented.

“Oh, yes. I’ve been bored lately, so I’ve decided to execute Zoro tomorrow. Look forward to it!”

And Hikari snapped.

Gasps splintered through the air when her fist made contact with Helmeppo’s insufferable face, sending him flying into a wall hard enough to fracture the plaster and wood, and every male within earshot winced at the high-pitched squeal that followed when her boot slammed down between unsuspecting legs.

Koby was frozen just outside the kitchen, pale as a ghost in fright, but Luffy was calm and serious as he watched her shoulders rise and fall heavily with boiling ire.

“ _I’ll break every bone in your miserable little body_.”

To the poor boy, Hikari sounded no less than a demon herself, voice a low growl like some great beast that had been slighted by a foolish knight.

“I’ve made up my mind!” Luffy declared, and Koby thought he saw a flash of fierce gold in Hikari’s dark eyes when she glanced back at them. “I’m going to have Zoro join my crew!”

And that was that.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You again?”

Zoro barely lifted his head when Luffy approached him this time, sounding tired under his irritation, and it made Hikari’s skin prickle with repressed fury.

“You sure have lots of free time.”

“I’ll untie you, so join my crew!” Luffy declared without any preamble, and Hikari face-palmed as the swordsman jolted against his bonds in surprise.

“Say what?!”

“I’m looking for people to join my pirate crew.”

“That’s not the part he was asking about.” The pinkette snarked, rubbing at the headache building behind her brow.

“Forget it!” Zoro snapped, riled up now. “Me, stooping to a criminal’s level? Screw that!”

“What’s wrong with being a pirate?” Luffy wondered, hands on hips, and his nonchalance only kept the momentum of the other man’s temper going.

“Pirates are despicable! As if I’d wanna be one!”

“Alright, now I’m feeling mildly insulted over here…” Hikari drawled, lifting an unimpressed look on the swordsman.

“Oh, come on!” Luffy wheedled merrily, as if convincing someone to go on a joyride rather than turn to a life of crime. “You’re already known as an evil bounty hunter!”

“People can say whatever they want, but I ain’t done anything I regret.” Zoro shot back, her eyes snapping towards him in surprise. “I _will_ live through this and accomplish what _I_ want!”

“Yeah?” The rubber boy rejoined, unruffled. “But I’ve decided you’re gonna join me and Kari!”

BAM!

Zoro blinked when her fist came down on Luffy’s head, the pinkette scoffing.

“You can’t just decide that for people, idiot.”

“I hear you use swords.” He continued, as if he had not just been struck hard enough to nearly flip over, and Zoro answered without thinking.

“Yeah, but that stupid son took my stuff.”

“I’ll go get it back for you!”

“What?” Both swordsman and key-holder voiced, though with different amounts of confusion and surprise.

“So if you want your sword, join my crew!”

“You can’t bribe people into joining!” The pinkette scolded, deflating when her captain ran off without acknowledging her words at all.

“Is he planning to bust into the base by himself?” Zoro realized, and she sighed in defeat, shoulders slumping.

“That sounds like a Luffy thing to do...Oi, genius! The base is the other way!”

“Oh!”

Turning on his heel, Luffy stretched out his arms with a carefree grin.

“Gum Gum Rocket!”

Zoro jerked in his bonds when the rubber boy flew by like a cannonball, and she nodded in commiseration.

“Yeah, he’s like that.”

With a shake of the head, Hikari stepped up and began to fiddle with the knots holding his right arm in place, purposely ignoring the swordsman's scowl.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m making friendship bracelets, what does it look like?” She snarked, quirking a brow back. “Why, do you want to wait around for Luffy to get back and keep pestering you?”

“You’ll be killed for doing that, you know.” He warned, and she scowled at the ropes.

“And Helmeppo will kill _you_ if I don’t. He can go fuck himself, because I’m not leaving you here.”

There was no response to that, but Hikari felt his eyes on her face as she worked the ropes loose with care, a shaded silver in the shadow of his dark bandana.

“Hikari-san!”

Turning at the call, she sighed at spotting Koby running towards them across the courtyard, annoyed and resigned.

“I thought you wanted to join the Navy, not get arrested by them.”

“I want to be an honorable marine!” He replied, shoulders stiff and fists clenched. “And I can’t stand to see the Navy like this!”

“I’m surrounded by idiots.” Hikari concluded, returning to her work, as Koby frowned.

“ _You’re_ the one who broke Helmeppo’s nose and-”

“I broke a couple of things he’s not going to need anymore, once I’m through with him.” She cut off, a smile breaking through as a section came loose, and Zoro shifted at the slight freedom.

“You…”

“End of the line!”

The three whipped their heads around to find a squadron of marines had appeared a few yards away, rifles leveled in preparation to fire, and a massive, iron-jawed man with a battle ax for a hand towering behind them like some sort of golem.

“Captain Morgan.” She realized, one hand dropping to the key-ring at her hip.

“For the crime of treachery against me, I’ll now execute you three where you stand!” The Navy Captain declared, Koby going pale. “This is some interesting stuff you guys’ve pulled! Were you three and that straw hat kid planning a coup or something?”

“You say ‘plan’ like Luffy even knows what that is.” Hikari drawled, gaze flicking from marine to marine and back to the stubborn knots under her hand.

“I’ve always fought alone.” Zoro agreed, glaring. “Unlike arrogant bastards like you who use soldiers as cronies!”

“Roronoa Zoro, don’t you dare underestimate me!” Captain Morgan threatened, voice booming with bravado. “You may be strong, but before my authority, you’re as good as scum!”

“Is this a dick-measuring contest?” Hikari wondered with faux-innocence. “Because shooting someone doesn’t change the fact that you’re losing.”

“HIKARI-SAN!” Koby squeaked out, horribly scandalized, as Zoro released a bark of laughter.

“AIM!” Captain Morgan roared, jolting his soldiers into action, and the pink-haired boy yelped as he was shoved down, light pouring off a golden key.

“OPEN, GATE OF THE MAIDEN!”

“FIRE!”

“VIRGO!”

A rush of starlight, the crack of gunfire, the rumble of breaking earth, and Hikari moved, trying to shield Zoro’s head-

Blinking at the lack of pain after a few long moments, the pinkette glanced up to find Luffy had appeared, body stretching around the momentum of each bullet and the firing squad downed by the pit trap Virgo had created.

“That doesn’t work!”

With a cheer, the rubber boy snapped back in a whizz of flying bullets, and Hikari slumped in relief, her Celestial Spirit considering the display dispassionately while brushing dust off her dark skirt.

“Are you _trying_ to give me a heart attack?”

A puff of warm air on her cleavage distracted her, and she glanced down to find that, in trying to protect the swordsman from being shot, her breasts were trying to suffocate him instead.

“Oh, sorry!” Hikari apologized, immediately pulling back and dropping off his shoulders. “You okay?”

Zoro only sputtered, ears going pink, and she worried for a moment that he had gone without air a little too long as Luffy bounced up.

“I told you I was strong!”

“Who the hell are you?” The swordsman demanded, voice gravelly, and the rubber boy grinned.

“I’m Monkey D Luffy! The man who’s gonna be Pirate King!”

“And I’m Hikari, the babysitter.” The pinkette drawled as Virgo helped Koby up, chains jangling from her wrists.

“What? Pirate King?” Zoro echoed, disbelieving. “Do you even know what that means?”

“Pirate King is Pirate King! Are there any other meanings?”

“Look at that face.” Hikari pointed out, arms crossed. “Look at that face and tell me he’s not stupid enough to go for it.”

Luffy just grinned, holding out his spoils like a bouquet of roses.

“Here’s your treasure! Which is yours? I couldn’t tell, so I brought three of ‘em.”

“All three are mine.” The swordsman answered after a moment, relaxing in his bonds. “I use the Three Sword Style.”

“You’ll take ‘em, right?” The rubber boy pressed, lighting up with hope. “If we fight together now, you’ll be a government-defying villain! Would you prefer that, or being killed by the Navy like this?”

“I’m surprised they haven’t given it another shot, actually.” Hikari mused, glancing over to see the marines climbing shakily out of Virgo’s pit trap as the maid-Spirit tilted her head in consideration.

“Should I have made the pit deeper, hime?”

“First, stop calling me that.” The pinkette ordered tiredly, rubbing at her forehead. “And second, next time, you should probably make it twice as deep.”

“Of course, hime. Am I to be punished?”

“No!”

A laugh rumbled out of Zoro’s chest, a smirk tugging at his mouth.

“What are you, the devil’s son? Well, whatever. I’ll be your pirate, if I’m just gonna die here instead!”

“Luffy, save your victory dance for _after_ we’ve untied him.” Hikari scolded, Virgo tilting her head around Luffy as the marines rallied.

“Hime, they appear to be charging.”

“Oh, for the love of-Break it!”

A crack of splintering wood, a hiss of metal, and Zoro _moved_.

Between one blink and the next, he had intercepted every marine blade and held them in place in a single stance, not so much as twitching to show any sign of effort in doing so.

“Move, and you’re dead.”

Hikari blinked rapidly when a finger poked at her cheek, the vaguest hint of a smile forming on Virgo’s blank face.

“You seem very pink suddenly, hime. Are you ill?”

“I’m fine.” She bit back, rubbing at a heated cheek and glaring at Koby’s confused look.

“I apologize, hime. Will you punish me?”

“Will you stop that?!”

“I’ll be a pirate, I promise you that.” Zoro stated, smirking around the katana hilt in his mouth. “I’m officially a criminal, now that I’ve fought the Navy. But I’ll tell you this right now, I’m only going to fulfill _my_ ambition!”

“Ambition?” Hikari echoed, focus no longer on a masochistic Virgo.

“To be the world’s greatest swordsman. If I wind up having to give that up, you’d better accept responsibility and apologize to me!”

“The world’s greatest swordsman?” Luffy considered, unable to help a grin. “That sounds great! The Pirate King would need no less than that on his crew!”

“And yet here I am.” Hikari drawled, traces of a frown now on Virgo’s face.

“You sure talk big.” Zoro acknowledged, gaze flicking over at her words. “At this point, whether it’s as a criminal or whatever else, I _will_ spread my name throughout the world!”

Captain Morgan’s voice boomed across the courtyard like a shot from a cannon.

“What’re you standing around for?! Slaughter them this instant!”

“Duck, Zoro!” Luffy ordered, bringing his leg back. “Gum Gum Whip!”

The swordsman crouched swiftly moments before the straw-hat boy’s leg swung overhead with a snap of rubber, sending the unprepared marines flying, and Koby’s jaw dropped.

“What the hell are you?” Zoro demanded again as their enemies groaned.

“I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit.” Luffy answered cheekily, causing a fearful uproar from the marines as they turned to Captain Morgan for mercy.

“This is a direct order!” The man thundered, implacable as stone. “Everyone who spouted weakness just now must shoot themselves in the head! I have no need for weakling soldiers!”

“Oh, that is _it_!”

Even Luffy jumped at the snap in Hikari’s voice, and Zoro swore her dark eyes flashed gold in the fierce sunlight as the pinkette stormed forward.

“I’ve had enough of your egotistical bullshit, Morgan! You lay one hand on those men, and you’ll have to get another ax!”

“DIE!”

A snap of rubber, and Luffy’s fist slammed into the Navy Captain’s ax, forcing him back before the sharpened edge could come down on Hikari’s head.

“Rankless, low-status bums have no right whatsoever to defy me!” The man hissed, removing his coat swiftly. “I am Navy Captain Ax-Hand Morgan!”

“I’m Luffy.” The rubber boy responded simply, not at all intimidated. “And I won’t let you hurt my crew!”

“Die!”

Hikari had to jump back to avoid the heavy swings of his hard-earned ax-hand, Luffy almost dancing around the blade, and Virgo placed a hand on Koby’s shoulder to keep the boy from jumping out of his skin.

“Damn it, Luffy! I was going to hit him!” The pinkette complained, her captain snickering as he slammed both feet into Captain Morgan’s face, sending the man tumbling back head-over-heels.

“Sorry, Kari! You can hit the next one!”

“I better fucking get to-”

A sudden CRACK had her jolting around, eyes going wide-

“VIRGO!”

The Celestial Spirit gasped as a bullet tore through her chest, the projectile whizzing off-course past Hikari’s ear as Virgo began to dissolve into starlight.

“Hime…”

“Virgo!”

Zoro was surprised at the sheer panic that overtook her then, only the click of a gun’s hammer keeping the pinkette from rushing forward, eyes flashing gold towards a trembling Helmeppo and the arm he had locked around Koby’s neck.

“Hold it, Straw Hat! Check _this_ out!”

Luffy’s next punch was pulled short, expression blank, as the Captain’s son tried to puff himself up.

“If you value their lives, don’t move! One move, and I’ll shoot!”

“You’d better shoot me now.” Hikari warned lowly, pupils seeming to slit like a cat’s. “Because I’m going to kill you.”

Zoro huffed, head tilting as he reevaluated the girl before him, and Luffy grinned at the violent shakes that further threw off Helmeppo’s aim.

“I’d be careful, stupid son. Kari doesn’t lie.”

A flicker of motion in her peripheral, and Hikari caught Zoro’s eye.

“Dad! Kill him, quick!”

A flash of blades, a whirl of metal, and Helmeppo’s scream was cut off as her tonfa slammed into his face while Captain Morgan toppled like a felled oak, his ax bare inches from Luffy’s straw hat.

“Nice!” The rubber boy approved, not so much as glancing back, and both smiled.

“Our pleasure, captain.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grabbing a dumpling, Hikari blocked grasping rubber fingers from her plate with the flat of her knife, popping a bite of ham in her mouth as Zoro leaned back in his seat to stretch.

“I was definitely at my rope’s end, having not eaten in three weeks.”

“Huh? You’re finished already?” Luffy wondered around a mouthful of chicken drumsticks, earning a disbelieving look from the swordsman.

“How the heck can you have a bigger appetite than me?”

“Talent.” Hikari deadpanned, considering the onigiri before deciding to grab three from Luffy’s voracious appetite.

“It tastes good! Right, Koby?”

“Ah, thank you for treating me to food, too.” The boy voiced, Ririka smiling from where she was washing glasses behind the bar.

“It’s no problem. The town _has_ been saved, after all!”

“You really are amazing!” Rika agreed, beaming, and the rubber boy grinned.

“Yep, I am! And I’m gonna be even more amazing!”

“It’d be pretty amazing if you learned to chew with your mouth closed.” Hikari drawled, licking rice from her fingers.

“And I even have a crew!”

“So, how many others have you gathered besides us?” Zoro wondered, at ease. “You said you were in the middle of gathering a crew. To be Pirate King, you must have a good number gathered.”

“Just you two.”

The pinkette huffed in amusement at the dumbfounded expression on his face, chin resting on a propped palm.

“Welcome to the club.”

“We’re gonna call just us three a pirate crew?” The swordsman clarified, incredulous, and she shrugged.

“Apparently.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Luffy wondered, practically vacuuming the meat off a lamb shank. “We _are_ strong.”

“Again, I’m right here.” Hikari deadpanned, Zoro rubbing at his forehead.

“What about a ship? Where’s your pirate ship?”

“There.”

The low snicker that Hikari released did not give the former bounty hunter much confidence as he crossed to the window Luffy indicated with a forkful of asparagus to see-

“ _That_?”

“We’ll have a ship _this_ big before long!” Luffy promised, gesturing grandly with a tempura and a ham leg. “And I’d like a pirate flag, too! Yeah! So cool!”

“And now you understand my pain.” Hikari noted with a giggle, Zoro dropping his aching forehead into a hand.

“Did I really make this guy my captain?”

“Well, we’ll get more crew members before long!” Luffy assured, the pinkette glancing skyward.

“May the Spirit King have mercy on their souls.”

“Hey, hey! Where are you guys gonna go now?” Rika wondered, eyes bright, and the rubber boy lit up.

“Isn’t it obvious? The Grand Line!”

Koby turned into a fountain in his surprise, Hikari shifting sideways to avoid the spray while pinning her captain with a firm, no-nonsense look.

“No. We have no navigator, no doctor, no cook, and no ship. We’re _not_ going to the Grand Line yet.”

“But-”

“No.”

“Kari-”

“I swear on the stars, I will find a way to break every rubbery bone in your body.”

Luffy wisely believed her and stuffed an entire cooked goose into his mouth as Zoro snickered, Hikari eyeing both of them before sending a more comforting glance Koby’s way.

“Don’t worry about us, I’ll take care of these two. You should be thinking about your own future.”

A blank expression answered her, and Zoro shook his head, growing serious.

“Even if you were just a chore boy, you _did_ spend two years on Alvida’s pirate ship. Don’t underestimate the Navy’s info-gathering skills. If they find out about that, you’ll never get to join.”

“Pardon me!”

The room turned their focus towards the restaurant’s main entrance as a Navy Lieutenant stepped inside, flanked by his fellows and a crowd of curious townspeople.

“Is it true that you are pirates?”

“Yeah!” Luffy answered without hesitation, Hikari face-palming. “We gained a member just now!”

“We appreciate that you saved our base and this town from that tyrant. However, now that we know you are pirates, in the name of the Navy, we cannot stand by quietly. You will leave this town at once! Out of obligation, we will refrain from contacting headquarters.”

This caused an uproar from the surrounding citizens, grateful to the fledgling pirates and wanting to properly thank them, and Hikari glanced warily between the two groups as Zoro frowned.

Luffy, however, just smiled and rose with a languid stretch.

“Well, guess we should go! Thanks for the food!”

“You guys are leaving already?” Rika realized, eyes big and wet, and Hikari dropped a hand on her hair as she stood, shouldering a bag of supplies.

“We’re pirates. There’s always somewhere else to be.”

Yes, the pinkette would have preferred a day or so to properly rest, given how the last few had been going, but there was nothing for it.

“Aren’t you part of their crew?”

Koby was already stuttering, unable to form a single word, and Hikari had to grit her jaw to keep from glancing back as she reached the door just behind Zoro-

“Hold it!” The Navy Lieutenant barked, bringing Luffy to a stop. “Well? Is he?”

“I know what he’s done until now.”

Hikari winced at the absolute horror that filled Koby’s face, glancing towards her captain and willing him not to be stupid.

“There was this _really_ fat pirate lady, I think her name was Ahiruda, and she had this iron club. Man, she was an ugly hag! And for two whole years, this guy was her-”

And Koby snapped.

There was a gasp of shock from the crowd when his fist slammed into Luffy’s face, unseating his straw hat, and the pair devolved into a very one-sided slugfest almost immediately, much to Hikari’s annoyance.

“Oh, for the love of-KNOCK IT OFF!”

Wading through the stunned marines, she grabbed Luffy by the collar like a disobedient child to drag him off a battered Koby, throwing him towards Zoro with a scowl.

“You’ve done enough!”

“It’s very clear that you guys aren’t crewmates!” The Navy Lieutenant concluded, clearly rattled by the sudden violence. “Now leave this town at once!”

Luffy hid his smile by replacing his straw hat, and Hikari tried to hold onto her annoyance until they were a safe distance away before relaxing, punching his shoulder.

“Idiot. You took it too far.”

“That was a pretty lame act.” Zoro agreed, swords slung over one shoulder as he studied the pair. “Wouldn’t be shocked if they saw through it.”

“Koby’ll handle the rest on his own now.” Luffy assured, taking the steps leading down to their dinghy two at a time. “I just know it.”

“Just put your stuff in the boat, before I push you into the ocean.” Hikari threatened, hopping in to grab the rigging and unfurl the sail.

“You’re awfully violent for a key-holder.” Zoro noted, dropping in after them as Luffy unmoored their vessel.

“Don’t think I won’t drown you, too.”

“You can _try_.”

“Are you trying to say something? Because I’m not appreciating that tone.”

Luffy snickered at this, clearly entertained by their banter, before a shout broke through the moment.

“Luffy-san! Hikari-san!”

Koby stood up on the dock, next to Rika, and snapped a salute.

“Thank you! I’ll never forget all you’ve done for me!”

“I’ve never heard of a pirate being thanked by a marine.” Zoro voiced, Hikari hiding a smile as she turned to adjust the sail.

“First time for everything.”

“Let’s meet again sometime, Koby!” Luffy called as they pulled away from shore, waving both arms like a loon and causing their boat to sway.

“Sit down before you go overboard, you idiot!”

“I thought you were going to drown him.”

“Listen here, asshole-”

Luffy began to shake with heavy laughter, and their banter cracked open, Hikari trying to muffle her giggles behind a hand as Zoro snickered towards the clouds overhead.

 _So far, this was turning out better than she thought_.


	3. Buggy The Clown Arc

Leaning against the boat’s side, Hikari tipped her head back to bask like a cat in the sunshine, utterly supine and gladly ignorant of whatever her captain and crew-mate were doing to entertain themselves.

“Hey, Kari!”

 _Well, it was nice while it lasted_ …

“Yeah?” She muttered, slitting an eye open to find Luffy had stretched his head into the edges of her vision.

“What’s a key-holder?”

…

“You can’t be serious.”

“I told Zoro that Lily and Virgo pop out of your keys, but he doesn’t believe me!”

“No way someone could fit in those little things.” The swordsman argued, as if he had repeated this many times, likely when Hikari was napping and blissfully unaware of their bickering.

“Stars, you’re both idiots.” She lamented for a moment, head tipping back as if to ask the heavens for patience before straightening. “Celestial Spirits don’t pop out of their keys, they come through the Gate those keys open between our world and the Celestial Spirit World.”

The pair blinked at her as if Hikari was speaking in tongues, and there was a strong urge to smack her forehead on the mast.

“For the love of...Imagine there’s two rooms, okay? One’s our world, with the Blues and the sky and the islands, and the other’s _their_ world. There are doors in that wall between them, and each has a special key, but only one Celestial Spirit can come through each one.”

Zoro started to nod, at least following along, as Luffy pouted in thought.

“Why?”

“Celestial Spirits can’t hold themselves in our world for very long without sharing the energy of a key-holder.” Hikari explained, settling into her role as teacher. “The stronger they are, the more energy it takes to hold them here, and the strength of their bond determines how much power the Spirit can use here.”

“Are your Spirits really strong?” Luffy wondered, rocking side to side, and she could not help smiling.

“Everyone’s strong in their own way, but yeah, mine are pretty strong.”

“You have six, right? I want to meet them!”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but three of us barely fit in here.” She drawled, gesturing to the rather tight quarters their dinghy provided. “I can only summon one at a time, and like I said, it takes energy to summon and hold a Spirit here. It’s not safe to do when I don’t have a ready supply of food.”

“Don’t worry, you’re really strong!” The rubber boy assured brightly, and Zoro quirked a brow at the sudden pinkness that filled Hikari’s face as she punched their captain on the shoulder.

“Idiot, quit saying stupid shit like that!”

“But you _are_ strong!” He argued with a pout, looking to Zoro for support. “Right, Zoro?”

“Haven’t seen her fight yet.” The swordsman pointed out, considering. “But I heard that using a gold key means the person’s gotta be decently strong.”

“Really? So Virgo’s strong?”

“Course she is.” Hikari answered, rightfully proud. “She’s a Zodiac.”

Their blank expressions had the pinkette withholding a face-palm.

“Damn it...There’s two kinds of keys, see?”

Removing the keyring from her hip, she held it out to show the two gold and four silver ones hanging there.

“Silvers are super common, and they have lots of uses. There are musicians, travel companions, hunters, protectors, you name it. Lily’s a fighter, for example."

Luffy nodded, likely remembering the short battle they had waged against Alvida’s crew.

“But there are only twelve gold Zodiac keys.” Hikari continued, fingertips gentle on the detailed blades of the pair in her hand. “They’re much stronger than regular Celestial Spirits. Virgo can not only shape-shift, but manipulate earth to make pitfalls or tunnel underground, and she’s a skilled hand-to-hand fighter.”

“Is she okay?” Luffy wondered, brow furrowing, and she smiled.

“Celestial Spirits are tough. It was enough to send her back to the Celestial Spirit World, but she should be all healed by now.”

“Who’s the other one?” Zoro asked, gesturing to the other gold key.

“Oh, that’s Aquarius. She’s my oldest and strongest Spirit, but her key needs to touch water for me to summon her.”

“Are you gonna get the other ones?” Luffy questioned, head tilting like a curious pup. “There are twelve, right?”

“I...Yeah.” Hikari answered, flushing pink and glancing out towards the water. “Collecting all twelve Zodiacs...I need to do that to complete my goal.”

“Your goal?” The rubber boy echoed, Zoro shifting to study her more closely.

“It’s a legend I heard, when I was a kid.” She admitted, rubbing knuckles against her warm cheeks. “That if you gather all twelve Zodiac keys, you can open the final Gate...The Celestial Spirit King.”

This had Luffy’s eyes shining in awe, and even Zoro perked up, intrigued.

“The Celestial Spirit King is the strongest Spirit there is. He uses a massive sword that’s said to contain whole galaxies of stars, can read minds, teleport, fly, even stop time in our world. But his most important role is that he enforces the rules of the Celestial Spirit World.”

“Rules?” Zoro repeated, surprised.

“Yeah, rules.” She confirmed, amused. “Each of these keys is like a contract between Spirit and key-holder. If one or both break that contract, then it severs the technical ownership of the key so someone else can claim it.”

The smile on her face faded, fingers curling around each key.

“But...Well, those rules are really one-sided. Spirits are bound to obey their key-holder, bring no harm to them, prevent others from harming them...But key-holders aren’t bound to any of that.”

The force of her righteous fury was an almost palpable heat in the air, like a heat mirage, and Luffy’s expression was seriously blank as Zoro’s thumb paused in tapping against the white hilt of his katana.

“Most of them just-just use them like tools! Throw them out to fight their own battles and don’t care if they get hurt! Even use them like shields to protect themselves! Spirits are just as much people as we are, they don’t deserve to be treated like that! That’s why I’m going to summon the Celestial Spirit King and make him change the rules!”

There was a sharp silence after her outburst, before Luffy grinned as bright as the sun overhead.

“You’re a good person, Kari!”

This declaration deflated all the anger right out of her, and Zoro noted how she seemed bigger before, more a force of nature than a person.

“Huh?”

“Your dream’s for your nakama.” The rubber boy elaborated, snickering. “Me and Zoro are selfish, instead!”

“Oi!”

“You’d have to be selfish, to be a captain and drag a whole crew of people into the Grand Line to get the One Piece.” Hikari snarked, ignoring the heat in her cheeks.

“And as captain, I’ll help you reach your dream!” Luffy swore, a weight to his words like when declaring he would be Pirate King, and her heart did a little jump. “Hey, a bird!”

The swordsman and key-holder blinked at this sudden non-sequitur, heads tilting back to see a shadow flying far overhead in a clear blue sky.

“Let’s eat it!”

“Are you kidding me?”

“How?”

Zoro shrugged at the disapproving look Hikari leveled at him.

“Not helping!”

“Leave it to me!” The straw-hat boy promised, arms stretching to grip the mast. “Gum Gum Rocket!”

With a snap, he was airborne, and the pinkette watched his flight dispassionately.

“Fifty beli he falls into the ocean.”

“That’s a sucker’s bet.”

The pair watched as their captain reached the apex of his throw, right at the bird-

And stop.

“...Shit.”

“Moron!” Zoro growled, already rowing them at top speed over the water.

“How does he _do_ that?” Hikari lamented, grabbing a silver key. “Open, Gate of the Tres Felis! HAPPY!”

A small, bipedal, blue-furred cat popped through the flash of his Gate, long white-tipped tail waving as he grinned.

“Kari-hime! Are we fishing?”

“Not right now, no!” She replied, grabbing onto the mast to steady herself as Zoro tried to reconcile the blue, talking cat with reality. “But we will once you get me up there to save our idiot captain!”

“Aye-aye!”

And then the cat _sprouted wings_ , white and feathered like an angel’s, and Zoro decided that sanity was overrated anyway as Happy hopped onto her back.

“I’ll try to save you some Luffy to yell at when you catch up!” Hikari promised before pushing off the dinghy’s wall, Happy’s wings doing one swift downward stroke and sending them spiraling up into the air.

The bird already had a sizeable head-start, and seemed intent on keeping it, but Hikari was hardly worried about that.

There was no faster flyer than Happy.

“There!”

“On it!”

Arms tucked in, they shot over the ocean like an arrow, waves blurring into the dark water below, their target becoming more distinct as the distance was eaten away...

Hikari caught sight of land suddenly on the horizon, growing closer with every moment, and cursed as the bird flew right over the colorful rooftops at a much lower altitude than before-

A flash, a BOOM, and Hikari winced as the bird and Luffy disappeared in the smoke of a cannon shot.

“Gate Close!”

Happy yelped in disapproval as he disappeared into a trail of stardust, and she snapped a tonfa out, firing the end at a raised flagpole and letting momentum swing her around, snapping the length back in before tucking and rolling across a flat rooftop to bleed off speed.

_Since when do they use cannons on birds?_

Coming up in a crouch, shaking gravel from her mussed ponytail, Hikari scanned the nearest buildings for sentries or cannons before glancing below, brows furrowing at the empty streets.

The buildings were well-built and maintained, the paint still fairly vibrant on the bricks, but there was not a soul in sight, not even in the windows.

“Well, that’s not ominous or foreboding.” She muttered, pulling out a second key. “Open, Gate of the Tres Felis! CARLA!”

“I hope you know that the tomcat _does_ know how to land.” The Spirit noted as she appeared, a young-looking girl with soft white hair and feline ears, a matching tail with a pink bow swaying from under the hem of her pink-and-black plaid skirt, adjusting her black blazer over a white button-up. “It’s not necessary to force his Gate closed when you need to touch ground.”

“Only if I want to avoid eating brick.” Hikari snarked as Carla joined her, ears swiveling. “What do you see?”

“Trouble.” The cat-girl drawled, tail snapping once. “He’s down that way, near the main street. I suggest keeping a low profile.”

“That’s what I thought.” The pinkette muttered, flicking her tonfa’s length back into the handle. “Come on.”

Grabbing the roof’s edge, she swung down onto a balcony railing and jumped onto an awning from there before reaching the neat cobblestones, sliding into an alleyway with Carla only seconds behind.

This was familiar, stepping through shadows and skirting the light, as the pair made their way towards where Luffy had landed.

Coming out on a wider street a few minutes later, Hikari took in the crater and three downed men slowly, their teeth scattered across the ground like loose change.

“Well, he was definitely here.” She noted, hands on hips as Carla surveyed their surroundings with unfocused eyes. “But which way did he go?”

“That’s the most likely direction.” The cat-girl supplied, pointing further inland, and Hikari stared that way, glancing back towards the ocean with a thought of if Zoro had caught up yet-

A gasp, and Carla barreled into her back, sending them sideways into the recessed door of a shop-

Then the whole street exploded in a gush of light, brighter than anything Hikari had ever experienced before, followed by a delayed BOOM that made her ears ring and Carla hiss in pain, tail wrapping tight around her key-holders waist.

Blinking stars from her eyes once the blast had faded, Hikari shook her head to clear the static and stared in disbelief.

The street was gone.

Bare centimeters from the edges of their haven, the cobblestone had been blown away and the buildings reduced to the barest scraps of splinters and glass and brick, completely wiped out.

“What the fuck?”

“That’s a powerful cannon.” Carla agreed, rubbing at her ear as she backed away. “I’m sure our captain will be where it is.”

“And probably about to get blown up.” Hikari realized. “We’ve got to hurry.”

“Of course, hime.”

In a shimmer of light, like a refraction off water, the cat-girl transformed into a bipedal white cat like Happy, though one wearing a miniature of her original outfit.

Happy might have been faster, but Carla was smarter, careful not to rise higher than the surrounding buildings to survey the path of destruction.

“There it is.”

In the distance, unmarred buildings stood proud, stark against the sudden barrenness, and they swooped low over the rooftops, swerving around chimneys and clotheslines and chairs to avoid possibly being seen as they approached.

This particular building was a good two or three stories taller than any of the others, a tent sitting like a hat atop it’s roof, and Carla angled upward to give her a good view of the assembly there.

Hikari took in the whole scene in a moment-

 _Luffy, tied up in a cage before a cannon_ -

 _Zoro on one knee, bleeding through his white shirt_ -

 _Pirates, brandishing swords and guns_ -

-before giving the order.

“Carla!”

With a twist, the white cat was diving, disappearing in a shower of starlight-

Zoro jerked, wide-eyed, when a white-pink missile came down on Captain Buggy’s head and cracked him into the roof, stone crumbling like cheap foil.

“I’m only going to say this once.” Hikari growled as the dust cleared, wind-mussed and with gold flashing in her dark eyes. “No one’s allowed to beat up these two idiots but _me_. Got it?”

“Kari!” Luffy cheered, hopping in his bindings as she stepped off a concussed Buggy and kicked the cannon around to face the gawking pirates instead. “They were eating all this delicious food and wouldn’t let me have any!”

“Yeah?”

Zoro snickered when the nearest goon peed himself at her glare.

“Who are you?” A girl asked, brown eyes wide and orange hair in disarray, as Hikari crouched to inspect the swordsman’s wound.

“The babysitter.” She drawled, brow furrowing as gentle fingertips probed the edges of sliced flesh. “Shit, he got you pretty bad.”

“I’m fine.” He replied stubbornly, earning an unimpressed glance.

“I wasn’t aware you bled on a regular basis.”

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?!”

Hikari did not even turn her head as she flicked out a tonfa and fired the tip, wrapping Buggy up tight to pin his arms.

“Oh, shut up. No one’s talking to you.”

Luffy whistled when the red-nosed man was thrown into his crew, the cord cracking before snapping back into place in her weapon, and a panicked cry went up when they spotted the silver key in her hand.

“Open, Gate of the Tres Felis! PANTHERLILY!”

Zoro blinked as the hulking Spirit appeared, heavy sword slung into a harness on his back, and picked up Luffy, cage and all.

“Time to go.” Hikari bit out, lighting the wick before hefting a startled swordsman onto her back. “Come on!”

“Wait, we’re running away?” The rubber boy whined as they leaped out onto a slanted section of rooftop, ignoring the sudden scramble behind them.

“Does it _look_ like you two are in any position to be fighting?”

“But Kari-”

“If I have to turn around, neither of us is going to be happy!”

There was a ground-shaking boom, but Zoro ignored it, straightening with a hiss.

“Since when was Lily a swordsman?”

“Since always!” Hikari replied, jumping onto a balcony railing and grabbing a flagpole to swing down into a shadowed street. “You just never asked!”

“I’m sure we’ll have time to spar in the near future.” Pantherlily assured, scar crinkling with a smile as he easily kept pace. “I look forward to a challenge.”

“Can we wait until he’s not bleeding and Luffy’s not tied up?” She reminded them, taking a sharp turn into the maze of alleyways. “Please and thank you!”

Pantherlily’s ears twitched a few minutes later before he signaled they were safely out of danger, and Hikari allowed herself to slow down, taking in their surroundings more closely.

The storefronts were just as abandoned here as they had been nearer the outskirts, but one had a covered porch that would suit their needs for now, so she headed that way to set Zoro down against a wooden support column, frowning at the suppressed wince and tightening of abused muscles.

“We need to bandage this up.” The pinkette concluded after a more thorough examination of his wound, only peripherally aware of Pantherlily setting down a caged Luffy and starting to slice open the bars.

Zoro turned his head to consider the nearest buildings, trying to determine which one might have a First Aid Kit-

A low ripping sound had Luffy perk up from where he was being unraveled from knotted ropes, and Zoro made a short choking sound as Hikari tore her tank top into usable strips, the plain white fabric of her bra a sharp contrast to tanned cleavage.

“What are you doing?!”

“Making bandages.” She replied distractedly, shoving the swordsman’s shirt up to press a carefully-folded wad of cloth against the exit wound. “Take off your shirt, before it gets more blood on it.”

Ears burning, Zoro gave in and removed his shirt one-handed, looking anywhere but Hikari as she leaned in to work, ponytail falling over one shoulder.

That was probably why he noticed the sudden halt in Luffy’s snickering, and the dark look in his eyes as they locked onto her exposed back.

“Kari, what’s that?”

Humming curiously, the pinkette turned partway to see what their captain was talking about, hands pausing against Zoro’s side.

Pantherlily’s ears swiveled, pressing backwards, and the swordsman leaned around the opposite way, a low hiss escaping between his teeth.

Because right at the base of her spine and stretching up her back was the sickly yellow-green-purple of a deep bruise in the shape of a heavy boot, with even the faint impression of treads, and that was _unacceptable_.

“Oh! Uh…”

Her fingers twitched, as if to reach back and touch, before Hikari refocused on her task, seeming almost _embarrassed_.

“It’s nothing! It’s from a fight a couple weeks ago, they just got a good hit in.”

Luffy glanced up as Pantherlily set him down, avoiding eye contact as he took the remains of the cage apart to hide, and met Zoro’s gaze with a seriousness that belied his usual rambunctiousness.

“There.” Hikari decided, tying a knot in the makeshift bandages. “That should hold until we find something better.”

A squeak escaped when her vision was suddenly swamped in white, pulling back in surprise and blinking as Zoro’s shirt pooled in her lap.

“Put it on.” He ordered, determinedly looking skyward with a glower, and Hikari frowned before pulling the clothing on.

Their size difference was never more pronounced as in that moment, with the swordsman’s shirt falling well below her knees and the neckline gaping enough to nearly fall off one shoulder, and she had to tie a knot against one hip to keep it from getting in the way.

“There. Happy?”

“Yup!” Luffy answered for him, falling against Hikari’s back in a hug, grinning toothily. “No one else gets to see Kari’s boobs but us!”

“What’s so special about my boobs?” She wondered, Zoro face-palming and wondering if his ears were going to burn off.

“Hey, a dog!”

The pinkette rolled her eyes as Luffy pushed off to poke the stoic creature in the face, Pantherlily chuckling when he got bit in retaliation and began to flail.

“You’re both hopeless.” She lamented, catching the stubborn dog and scratching just so under its chin, earning a pleased growl before Luffy was free.

“Thanks, Kari! Heya, navigator!”

Placing the dog back in its original spot, Hikari turned to take in the orange-haired girl from earlier, brow quirked.

“Navigator?”

“Yeah, Nami’s our new navigator!” Luffy introduced cheerfully, and the pinkette’s expression could not have been more deadpan.

“Of course.”

“You really saved us back there.” Nami greeted with a disarming smile, and Pantherlily glanced between them with folded arms, ears swiveling.

“Part of the job.” Hikari snarked, straightening as she eyed the taller girl.

“What are you young’uns doing out here?”

The quartet immediately turned as an old man in wooden armor exited a nearby house, hair in a puffy bouffant and wire-frame glasses perched on his nose.

“Who’re you, old man?” Zoro asked, forcing himself more upright despite Hikari’s protesting hiss.

“I’m this town’s mayor.” He answered, immediately spotting the makeshift bandages that were already bleeding through on the swordsman’s side. “My, what a terrible injury. I take it Buggy went after you folks, too? Come inside, you can rest in a guest room.”

With a curse, Hikari moved to support Zoro’s left side as he moved to stand, glaring stubbornly at his disgruntled expression as Luffy tilted his head.

“Stay with Luffy, Lily.”

The cat-Spirit nodded, tail twisting to curl around the rubber-boy’s wrist, as the pair went into the mayor’s home at a forcibly-slow pace.

“I’m fine.” The swordsman insisted as they were led into the nearest bedroom, glowering at the scoff she released while helping him sit on the crisp blue sheets.

“Men are never ‘fine’ when they’re bleeding.” Hikari scolded, accepting the medical kit given by the mayor before he returned outside. “Now hold still, you big baby.”

Zoro clenched his jaw as the bloody remains of her top were carefully peeled away, a hiss escaping as the wound was thoroughly cleaned with hydrogen peroxide and diligently stitched closed with a thoroughly-sterilized needle and thread.

“And I thought all those sewing lessons would never translate to real life.” Hikari joked, carefully padding her work and wrapping gauze securely around. “Try not to screw them up, I probably won’t do them as nice the second time.”

Grumbling, he flopped down on the pillow and promptly went to sleep, and the pinkette rolled her eyes while cleaning up.

A roar rattled the window, almost in time with the swordsman’s snore, and she rushed to look outside as it morphed into an enraged, yowling sort of cry.

In the middle of the street below was a rather large lion with a bear-eared man standing on its back, baring huge fangs at the poor little dog that was barking up a storm right back, Pantherlily spinning his Bustermarm in one hand while standing between them.

 _Shit_.

And there was Luffy, holding out an arm to keep the Spirit back and expression dangerously blank.

The lion lunged-

Rubbery arms shot out, twisting together like a spring to grab at the thick mane.

“Gum Gum Hammer!”

CRASH!

 _Well,_ they’re _not getting back up_ , she noted, turning away-

A strange light glinted off the glass, and every instinct in her body suddenly _screamed_.

“Gate Close!” Hikari spat out, leaping towards a startled Zoro as the outside world filled with blinding white, key in hand. “HOROLOGIUM!”

The world rocked moments after they tumbled into the cramped wooden cavity of the grandfather-clock-Spirit’s torso, and Zoro cursed, curling around the smaller body pressed flush against his as they were sent spinning and tumbling before crashing to a stop.

“I need to put some padding in here.” Hikari huffed, pink hair tickling across the swordsman’s chest as her head turned to peer out the glass. “Can you dig us out, Horologium?”

“I can try, hime.” The Spirit replied, voice echoing strangely. “Hold on, please.”

Their confines shifted, and Zoro grunted when her knee brushed his wound, prompting a quick apology as the pinkette tried to pull back.

“Shit, wait a sec.”

With a bit of careful maneuvering, Hikari was settled between his legs facing out towards the glass, legs curled in tight and boots carefully pressed against the door as Horologium continued to work debris out of the way.

“Better?”

Mumbling an affirmative, ears warm, Zoro glanced around at their wooden surroundings with a frown.

“What is this?”

“Horologium.” She answered, head tipping back to make eye contact. “He’s a defense-oriented Spirit. Not much use in a fight, but he can take a close-range cannon shot without a scratch. Right, Horologium?”

“Right, hime.”

“And he also won’t stop calling me that.” The pinkette grumbled, perking up when a chunk of stone wall was tossed aside and allowed light to bleed through.

“Kari! Zoro!”

Loud as he is, Luffy’s voice was still greatly muffled, though the heavy lurch as he lifted Horologium free of the wreckage was warning enough.

Hikari squeaked when the door was wrenched open and she was yanked out, barely finding her feet as Luffy wrapped around her torso like a rope-limbed koala bear.

“You’re okay!”

“Yeah, we’re-”

The pinkette wheezed when Luffy stretched out his arm and pulled Zoro into the embrace, nearly knocking all three over in his enthusiasm while crushing her between them.

“Okay, less fine…”

“Damn it, Luffy.” Zoro growled, barely catching his balance and straightening with the smaller pair of pirates firmly attached to his chest, the rubber-boy snickering as Hikari tried to wiggle out, Horologium disappearing with a wave.

“You smell like strawberries.”

“You smell like bacon.” She deadpanned, shoving Luffy’s face back. “Any other obvious things you want to mention?”

“I refuse to let them get away with this!”

Even Nami jumped a bit at the mayor’s sudden declaration, turning to him with wide eyes.

“I can stand this no more! Some random scum has no right to suddenly destroy our forty years! I am this town’s mayor! I will protect this town!”

The navigator rushed to block his charge as the old man grabbed up a spear, and Hikari blinked owlishly.

“Did we miss something?”

“This town is his treasure.” Luffy answered simply, and that was enough.

“There are fights a man cannot run from!” The mayor retorted in the face of Nami’s stubborn hold. “Isn’t that right, young’un?”

“That’s right, old man.” The straw-hat boy agreed, earning a scowl from the orange-haired navigator.

“Don’t urge him on! What can he possibly do by going to see them? It’s reckless!”

“I’m fully aware it’s reckless!” The old man shot back, startling her grip loose enough for him to storm away. “I’m coming for you, Buggy the Clown!”

“The mayor was crying…” Nami realized, and Luffy shrugged as he unwound his arms and legs from around his crew.

“He was? I didn’t see it.”

“Looks like the party’s getting more exciting.” Zoro noted, adjusting the katana in his haramaki.

“Sure does!”

“You two need a new definition for ‘party’.” Hikari drawled, checking her tonfa and keys.

“This is no time to be laughing!” Nami agreed, both confused and frustrated at their lack of urgency.

“It’s okay, I like that old guy.” Luffy assured with his usual cheer, starting after the mayor. “I absolutely won’t let him die!”

“In that case…” Zoro muttered, following a few paces behind, and Hikari had to jog to catch up with them as Nami went slack-jawed.

“You’re gonna go, too? With that wound?”

“The injury to my name is much worse than the injury to my gut.”

“The injury to your _head_ will be worse if you bust those stitches.” Hikari warned, earning a snicker and a grunt in reply as their captain turned to the navigator.

“Our destination is the Grand Line, so we’re gonna steal that map back now. Join our crew, Nami!”

“I’ll never be a pirate.” She swore, slapping away his offered hand with a razor-sharp smirk. “How about we team up for our common goal?”

Luffy’s grin was answer enough.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If there was one thing Hikari truly hated, it was bullies.

People like Alvida, Morgan and Helmeppo, who went out of their way to abuse their power over those not strong enough to fight back, were the sort of scum that she wanted to punch repeatedly in the face.

Buggy was quickly joining that list as Luffy wrenched his disembodied hand off the mayor’s neck, not letting go even as the older captain strained on the rooftop above them.

“I’m here to kick your ass, just like I promised!”

“Straw Hat?!” Buggy blustered once his hand was voluntarily freed, a vein visibly pulsing in his forehead. “How dare you just come waltzing back here, to Captain Buggy?!”

“Because you’re not fucking scary.” Hikari deadpanned, hands on hips, as a second vein popped into view.

“Listen, all I want is the map and the treasure.” Nami reminded them, and the pinkette slid her a sidelong glance as Zoro shrugged.

“We know.”

“Young’uns…” The mayor coughed out, voice roughened from abuse. “Why are you here? Stay out of this! You’re outsiders! This is my fight! I will protect my town! I don’t need your meddling!”

The mayor reared back with his spear-

And fell flat on his face, out cold, as Hikari removed her hand from his neck.

“What did you do?” Nami breathed, stunned, and the smaller girl shrugged.

“Pressure point.”

“Alright, here goes.” Luffy snickered, squaring his shoulders now that the old man was unable to get in the way. “BIG NOSE!!!”

The assembled pirates freaked out worse than Alvida’s crew had at her being called chunky, and Hikari tried to suppress a snort of laughter as Nami paled.

“That’s the one thing you _shouldn’t_ say!”

“Damn you, you flashy idiot!” Buggy exploded, gesturing wildly. “How dare you-Flashily fire the Buggy Ball!”

The cannon’s mouth dropped sharply to aim their way, and a hand dropped to her keys as Hikari shifted warily.

“Why’d you say that?” Nami snapped, immediately running out of the line of fire. “You idiot!”

“Can’t really argue with her right now.” The pinkette pointed out as Zoro clicked a katana from its sheath. “So you’d better have a plan.”

Luffy just grinned as the fuse was lit.

“That’s not going to work on me.”

With a deep breath, he expanded outward like a ball as the spherical projectile flew with an explosive CRACK.

“Gum Gum Balloon!”

The force may have sent Luffy skidding back a pace or two, but he snapped back like always, and Zoro shook his head as the cannonball went sailing back to sender.

“Say something beforehand, jeez.”

“It would help with my blood pressure.” Hikari agreed as the building was blown to smithereens, the rubber boy laughing.

“Alright! Now there’s fewer enemies!”

“What the heck are you?!” Nami demanded, almost gnashing her teeth, and Zoro wisely sidestepped her angry approach towards their captain.

“An idiot.” The pinkette supplied blandly, watching closely as the other girl shook Luffy by his collar.

“I knew something was weird from the time you fought that lion! No human can do that! Explain yourself! What was that balloon-inflatey thing you just did?!”

“The Gum Gum Balloon!”

“I’M ASKING WHAT THAT IS!”

Debris fell aside, revealing two unconscious pirates, and Hikari frowned as they were thrown aside by disembodied hands to reveal a mostly-unscathed Buggy.

“How dare you flashily try to do me in…”

A familiar bear-eared man popped up next, and this was confirmed when he scrambled over to his captain in a panic once recognizing them.

“Captain Buggy! Be careful! He has Devil’s Fruit powers, too! He’s a rubber person!”

“Rubber person?” Nami echoed, cringing when Luffy stretched his cheeks wide with both hands.

“Yeah! See?”

“I wish I didn’t.” Hikari drawled, focus turning away as an also-familiar unconscious lion was tossed away to reveal two other conscious pirates.

“This is the greatest insult we’ve had since we hoisted our flag, captain.” The man stated, his hair a dark green where it hung long on one side and lighter where it had been shaved close in parallel stripes on the other, lower face obscured by a long white-and-blue striped scarf.

“Allow us to get rid of the riff raff.” The woman assured, her own hair a deep purple that was almost black and done in thick ringlets to go with her gem-studded tiara and her sparkling candy-floss gold leotard.

“Oh, Cabaji! Nise!” Buggy greeted with such false cheer it seemed to drip from his teeth. “I’m so angry I can’t even fart. Show them your acrobat show!”

With matching nods, Cabaji jumped onto his unicycle with his sword drawn as Nise held out a key, the blade flashing gold and catching Hikari’s eye.

“I, acrobat Nise, take on Captain Buggy’s vengeance! Open, Gate of the Lion! LEO!”

A flash of light, a blur-

The still-fracturing starlight was tossed almost carelessly over a shoulder by an unruffled Hikari, Luffy and Zoro following its flight as Nami's jaw dropped.

Brow furrowing, Hikari turned to watch as the Celestial Spirit clumsily righted himself.

Leo the Lion was said to be the strongest of the Zodiacs, the uncontested leader, perhaps the only one who could look to the Celestial Spirit King as nearly an equal in some ways.

With even a fledgling bond, he would be more than a match for Virgo, and she would likely be forced to call out Aquarius to even the odds.

But the Celestial Spirit standing before her now was wane and on the edge of almost shaking, his dark suit nowhere near immaculate as it should have been and dark circles around half-dulled eyes, hair a mess that could in no way be called purposeful and feline ears tilted down in exhaustion.

Even the light that coalesced over his hands flickered, fading in and out as if he barely had the strength to summon his own power.

 _In this state_ , Hikari suspected, _even Happy would have a chance_.

“You should give up now!” Nise taunted, hands on hips and crumpling the gauzy tutu she wore. “Leo’s the strongest Spirit there is! You don’t stand a chance!”

Hikari leveled the older woman with an unimpressed look, gold flashing in her dark eyes.

“Are you stupid?”

Taken aback, Nise visibly pulled away, light eyes wide.

“What?”

“You’re either stupid, or one of the absolute worst key-holders I’ve ever met.” The pinkette continued, fixing her opponent with a Look that reminded Nami of a woman with dark magenta hair and a field of tangerine trees. “One look at him, and I can tell your bond is almost nothing. You’d have to be _actively ruining it_ for him to be this bad off. So, which is it?”

Nise flushed red with anger as she processed this thorough dressing-down, and Luffy snickered, far more amused to see someone else being scolded.

“You little brat! Leo, teach her some manners!”

Said Spirit hesitated, but moved forward as ordered, and Zoro scowled.

To him, it looked like Leo was about to be knocked over by a stiff breeze as he aimed a light-engulfed fist at Hikari’s head.

Side-stepping the swing, she spun easily past his guard, watching as the Spirit stumbled to catch himself.

“Shit, how are you holding yourself together?”

“I’m not so far gone as to fade quite yet.” He replied, the faintest hint of a smirk pulling at his mouth. “Though it warms my heart that a beautiful woman is so worried over me.”

“Save the flirting for when you’re not about to fall over.” The pinkette snarked, snapping a tonfa to full length and firing the end towards a startled Nise.

Arms thoroughly pinned, the woman squeaked as she was suddenly yanked off her feet, Nami wincing in sympathy when she crashed face-first into Hikari’s raised forearm hard enough to literally flip end-over-end before landing on the cobblestones.

Jaws dropped as Luffy snickered, poking Zoro’s arm.

“See? I told you Kari was strong!”

“She was just pathetic.” The pinkette argued, strolling over to grab the gold key from her hand.

A tension seemed to unwind from Leo’s body then, some of the drawn paleness already fading away, and he took a moment to just breathe it in.

“She has a silver key, on her waist.”

"Why are you taking them?" Nami wondered as Buggy began to sputter furiously, Hikari palming the second key deftly.

"I won fair and square, so all her keys are forfeit. Would've been the same for me, if roles were reversed."

"And I'm so glad they weren't." Leo admitted, relieved. "I would never want Virgo or Aquarius to deal with another key-holder like her."

Luffy threw an arm out when he swayed, catching the Spirit by a shoulder, and Hikari took a step before the squeal of rubber on stone jerked her attention around.

“I, acrobat Cabaji, Chief of Staff, take on Captain Buggy’s anger!”

His sword was angled upwards, ready to slice through Luffy’s extended arm, and the pinkette felt her heart lurch.

“GATE CLOSE!”

A startled Leo disappeared in a rush of starlight, Luffy’s hand starting to snap back without an anchor, but not fast enough-

Hikari grabbed the elastic wrist as it passed her by, swinging a startled Luffy aside and putting herself in the blade’s path-

“KARI!”

Metal clashed, ringing loudly in the air, and she blinked at the broad back suddenly shielding her, Cabaji’s blade locked with Zoro’s.

“I’ll clash swords with you.”

And the other man grinned.

“Acrobat Technique: Old Man Arsonist!”

A burst of flame escaped Cabaji’s mouth, startling and blinding, before a foot lashed out at the wound in Zoro’s side, fresh blood flowing as the swordsman cried out and fell back.

“Zoro!”

Jerking forward, Hikari pressed her palms flat against his back to hold Zoro up, gaze dropping worriedly to the bandages as they soaked quickly red.

“Fuck…”

If he was not so stubborn, she would have tried to argue against this, but there was no way Zoro could back down now.

“Remember what I said.”

The muscles under her hands twitched before the swordsman straightened, drawing his second and third swords as he glanced over his shoulder with a feral grin.

“I remember.”

With the white-hilted katana in his teeth, Zoro took a ready stance as Cabaji frowned, throwing out a handful of wooden tops.

“Taste my ultimate acrobatic move! Acrobat Technique: The Dance of a Hundred Kamikaze Tops!”

Katana spun, slicing neatly through each projectile, as the acrobat-swordsman wheeled his unicycle _up_ a wall.

“Acrobat Technique: A Hike In The Mountains!”

Pushing off, Cabaji started falling in a downward-stabbing move.

“Acrobat Technique: Fireworks In The Cool Summer Breeze! Sting Of The Unicycle!”

“None of those names makes any sense…” Hikari muttered, squeaking when a rubbery arm wrapped around her waist and yanked back as Luffy stomped on a disembodied hand.

“Stay out of Zoro’s fight.” The rubber boy warned Buggy, his smile more sharp-toothed now, as the swordsman easily dodged.

“Enough…”

This caught everyone’s attention, focusing on a subdued Zoro.

“I’m tired…”

“Finally given up, have you?” Cabaji taunted, secure in his victory and smug at having apparently easily defeated the Demon of East Blue. “Though I must say, I’m impressed you could fight with such injuries.”

“I meant I’m tired of your crappy-ass acrobatics.”

Cabaji’s expression twisted with anger at this, and he immediately charged.

“Then I’ll finish you off with my real sword skills! Die!”

Zoro took a new stance, calm as the center of a storm.

“Oni…”

A clash of blades and a spray of blood.

“Giri!”

“Cabaji!” Buggy shouted as his subordinate fell, bug-eyed, and Hikari ignored him as she rushed to catch a swaying swordsman, a hand pressing carefully against his soaked bandages with a frown.

“Shit...Are you done being an idiot?”

“Stop worrying.” He grunted, leaning into her solid frame as the pinkette slowly lowered them to the ground. “Luffy, I’m going to sleep now.”

“Right! I’ll handle the rest!” The straw-hat boy agreed, snickering when Zoro flopped over onto her lap and started snoring despite Hikari’s annoyed protests. “Keep an eye on him, Kari!”

“Not like I have much choice…” She muttered, pulling a gold key from the ring at her hip as Buggy scowled.

“You guys are pirates?”

“Yeah! We’re going to the Grand Line!” Luffy answered cheerfully, as if he was not about to duke it out with another pirate captain.

“That’s no simple voyage nameless bums like you can handle, dimwit! What’re you gonna do in the Grand Line, anyway? Go on a sightseeing trip or something?”

“Become Pirate King!”

Buggy’s expression was comical in his disbelief, sputtering.

“Get real, you flashy idiot! You, Pirate King? Would that make me God, then?! _I’m_ gonna be Pirate King and obtain this world’s treasures! Quit your dreaming!”

“You’re annoying.” Luffy decided. “Just bring it on already!”

Eight knives slid out between the older pirate’s fingers, and Hikari watched the scene warily, free hand sliding back to grip a tonfa.

“Seeing that straw hat of yours brings back memories of him, and irritates me. Memories of the damn cheeky red-haired man!”

“Red-haired?” Luffy echoed, perking up. “Does that mean you know Shanks?”

“Huh?”

“Oi, focus on fighting, will you?” Hikari barked, both men looking properly chastised before finally moving to do just that.

“Chop Chop Rice Cracker!”

With a spin, Buggy threw his spinning legs like a shuriken, blades popping from the soles of his shoes and forcing Luffy to dodge by jumping up as the ‘projectile’ cut past Hikari and Zoro a good three yards to the left.

“Can’t move in midair, can you?!” Buggy taunted, throwing knives, and Luffy grinned.

“Can, too!”

An arm snapped out towards a nearby pole, retracting fast enough to avoid being sliced open as the disembodied legs returned to their owner.

“Oh, quite interesting.”

“You, too!”

“Oh stars, you’re both hopeless…” Hikari lamented as her captain stretched back an arm.

“Gum Gum Pistol!”

Buggy dodged sideways, eyes going wide when Luffy suddenly rocketed towards him.

“Chop Chop Quick Escape!”

“Gum Gum Sickle!”

The straw-hat boy went sailing through where his enemies neck had been, crashing into a building, and Hikari watched as Buggy followed him further into the abandoned town.

“Shit…”

While taking the fight further away was certainly safer, given Zoro’s current condition, not knowing what was happening made her horribly nervous.

Luffy would be as against interference as the swordsman, but she at least wanted to be there in case he needed help...

But she could hardly leave Zoro alone, fast asleep, in the middle of the street...

 _Maybe Lily_ -

Blinking when a pair of hands suddenly stretched into view, Hikari stared as they snapped back out of sight with a THWACK and a fading scream.

 _Never mind_ …

“Time to wake up.” She voiced, gently patting Zoro’s cheek as Luffy skipped up with Nami a few steps behind. “It’s over.”

“Yeah?” The swordsman muttered, sitting up lethargically, and the rubber boy grinned.

“Yeah! We also got the map and a navigator!”

Hikari only had a moment to study this new navigator before Zoro swayed into her, groggy.

“No good, out of blood...I don’t think I can walk…”

Rolling her eyes, the key-holder wrapped an arm around him and dragged him upright onto her back as Nami huffed.

“Of course you can’t! You wouldn’t be human if you two could walk!”

“Why am I included?” Luffy wondered innocently, earning a glare from the redhead as Hikari carefully adjusted her new load, ignoring his annoyed grunts.

“You’re the most suspicious of all! Anyway, we gotta help the mayor.”

“Oh, yeah! We gotta wake the old guy up now.”

“You there!”

The group turned to find a veritable mob of citizens, each wielding some makeshift weapon, and Hikari’s fingers twitched for her keys as the apparent spokesperson stepped forward.

“Are you outsiders?”

“Yeah.” Luffy answered, oblivious to their suddenly precarious position. “Who are you?”

“We’re this town’s citizens! Did the pirates have a falling out or something? If you know anything, tell us!”

“Oh, it’s just the citizens.” Nami realized, clearly relieved. “I thought they were more of the pirates.”

“Oh no, mayor!” An older man shouted, rushing to said mayor’s fallen form. “Say something!”

“Hey! Mayor!”

“He’s out cold!”

“The pirates definitely did this!”

“How horrible!”

“Luffy…” Hikari ground out, chest tightening. “Don’t you dare-”

“Sorry! We kicked that old man’s ass!”

A beat of silence.

“WHAT!?!”

“Alright, time to go.”

Without hesitation, the pinkette scooped Luffy and Nami up on top of Zoro and took off down the street, the newly-fledged mob in hot pursuit.

“Ugh, why did you make things worse?!” Nami demanded, clinging to her two bags of treasure with white knuckles.

“This is a good town!” Luffy responded, unrepentant. “Everyone’s so mad, just for the old mayor guy! I think they’d get mad at any excuse we give! Turn here!”

Cursing the air blue like a true pirate, Hikari pivoted around a corner and leaped over the small white dog that was unexpectedly in their way.

“Chouchou!” The navigator gasped, and Luffy grinned as their self-appointed guard dog threw something into his outstretched hand before halting their pursuers with fierce barks.

“Later, dog!”

Slowing once the docks were in sight, the pinkette deposited her uninjured cargo in front of their dinghy and scanned the area for any possible ambushes as Luffy whistled.

“Hey, is this your boat? It’s great!”

“I don’t think it’s so great.” Nami waved off, though her own vessel was more sizeable than theirs. “I stole it from some idiot pirates.”

“That’s a big mouth you got!”

Said ‘idiot pirates’ popped out at this insult, clearly having waited for them, and Hikari released a tired sigh.

“Oh, _come on_ …”

“Been waiting for you, thief girl!”

“Never thought you’d run into us here, didja?”

“So you had friends, huh?” The ringleader jeered, hopping out and approaching what he saw as the weakest link. “Guess we’ll have to punish you, too. You’re gonna learn how bad it is to steal other people’s stuff!”

Quirking a brow, the pinkette looked him over in disbelief before he clapped a hand on Zoro’s slumped head.

“Hey, you! Quit ignoring me!”

He went appropriately pale at the glare leveled his way, but missed the sudden fury suddenly coalescing much closer to the surface.

“Haven’t you ever heard about respecting the injured?!”

Nami watched, awestruck, as the trio of pirates were summarily punted a good distance into the ocean, taking in her fellow woman as if for the first time.

“Did you eat a Devil’s Fruit, too?!”

“Course not.” Hikari dismissed absently, stepping into their dinghy to settle Zoro. “Come on, we’d better go before those townspeople catch up.”

Jumping into action, Nami readied her own boat as Luffy hopped in after his crew.

“Oh, hey! Kari, the dog wanted you to have this!”

Unfurling the sail once they were unmoored, Hikari turned her head towards Luffy-

And froze, gaze riveted on the silver key he held out to her with a grin.

“It’s not gold, but I thought-”

Zoro jerked at how fast she suddenly moved, blinking owlishly when the pinkette pulled Luffy down to press a kiss to his mouth, taking the key with an excited squeak.

“It’s perfect! Thank you!”

“...Huh.”

“What the hell?” Zoro muttered, conflicted on if he had wanted the kiss to have lasted longer or not.

Nami snickered at the dumbfounded looks on their faces as Hikari studied the decorated handle, Luffy blinking rapidly before tilting his head and then smiling.

“Kari kisses are nice! Do I get one every time I give you a key?”

The pinkette paused, processing what she had just done and flushing bright red.

“Don’t get your hopes up!”

“Hey, maybe one’ll make Zoro feel better!”

“Wh-What?!”

“But Makino always said kisses are the best medicine!”

“That’s not how it works!”

“Aw, come on, Kari-”

“Oi, who said I want her to kiss me?!”

“Is there something you wanna say, Roronoa?!”

“Hey, that’s not what I-”

Watching the fledgling pirate crew devolve into an argument, Nami covered up her giggles with a hand and grabbed a chair.

 _This should be fun_.


	4. Kuro Arc

“Is it done yet?”

“No.”

“Is it done yet?”

“No.”

“Is it done yet?”

“ _No_.”

“Is it done-?”

Luffy gurgled when a hand clamped over his throat, stretching the rubber boy’s neck so he was faced with Hikari’s annoyed glare, gold sparking in her dark eyes.

“I swear on every constellation in the sky, if you ask me that _one more time_ , I’m going to tie you to the anchor.”

Nodding, Luffy happily retracted his head once she released him, fingers returning to the job of patching his beloved straw hat.

…

“...Is it-?”

“For fuck’s sake!” The pinkette cursed, snapping her thread angrily and tossing the hat back. “Just take it!”

“Yay! Thanks, Kari!”

Grumbling under her breath, she glared at Zoro's half-swallowed snickers where he was reclining against the dinghy's bow, still shirtless and bandages removed to reveal the neat set of stitches in his side.

The swordsman was so stubborn about removing said bandages that she had given up replacing them out of sheer frustration, though it reminded her now that new clothes were in order so his shirt could be fixed.

Luffy perked up from where he was swinging his legs over the water when she grabbed a gold key and stood, moving towards the gap between their dinghy and Nami’s boat where they were lashed together.

Said navigator looked up from the maps spread before her, curious, as Zoro slit an eye open in feigned indifference.

“Kari?”

“I’m going to introduce you guys to my best friend.”

This had the straw-hat boy almost bouncing in excitement, falling backwards to roll towards her and throw both arms over her shoulders.

“Really? Go, go, go-”

“Oi, wait a second!” She scolded, elbowing him and earning a laugh before leaning over the edge.

Zoro shifted, amused at how Luffy practically climbed onto her back like a real monkey, sandals discarded so toes could curl into the fabric of Zoro’s shirt for purchase as the key touched water.

“Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! AQUARIUS!”

Both boats rocked heavily, Nami yelping as she was nearly knocked off her feet, and Zoro had to grab the dinghy’s edge to keep from knocking his head, eyes going wide as a _mermaid_ rose from the Gate.

Unlike Virgo, who could pass as a pink-haired, subdued human maid, Aquarius was at least twice as tall as the swordsman without even counting the royal blue length of her tail, her long, light blue hair falling well past the join between skin and scales, jeweled earrings glinting from her ears and gold flashing at forehead and neck and arms.

His first impression was an almost scary beauty, a woman that could snap you in half as soon as look at you, but that melted away into a smile as Hikari straightened, beaming.

“Aquarius!”

“There you are, brat.” The Spirit greeted, leaning on the railing and running gentle fingers through her key-holder’s mussed ponytail. “Keep getting into trouble without me…What if Leo had been serious?”

“Then I’d have punched him.” The pinkette replied, shrugging, and Aquarius huffed before offering a bundle of cloth.

“Here. Lily told me what happened to your shirt, brat, so let’s not have any repeats.”

“You say that like I had a bunch of options…” She muttered, reaching to grab Luffy by the back of his collar and hold him out to an amused Aquarius like a puppy. “Here, I’m gonna go change.”

“Hi!” The rubber boy greeted as he changed hands, Hikari swinging up onto Nami’s boat for some privacy. “I’m Monkey D. Luffy! I’m gonna be Pirate King!”

“Yeah?” Aquarius replied, setting him down. “Well, with an attitude like that, you might just make it.”

The straw-hat boy grinned as she looked over a shirtless Zoro and nervous Nami, more a shark than a salmon, before the cabin door opened once more.

“Jeez, the blood really set in.” Hikari muttered, stepping out in a white wrap top that hung in draping, woven loops from her shoulders, the layers parting with each step to show glimpses of tanned skin as the heels of dark leather boots clicked against the deck, pulled up high enough to leave only a strip of thigh visible between the slightly-folded top and the hem of her jean shorts.

Zoro blinked, finding the almost secret little hint of soft thigh mesmerizing in a way that Nami’s exposed legs decidedly _weren’t_ , as he focused on the cloth in her hand.

There was a noticeable slice, a dark brown with dried blood that had wrinkled in strange patterns from being knotted up, and the swordsman frowned, mildly annoyed.

Repairing cuts or tears was one thing, but a stain like that would probably never come out.

“Hey, Aquarius, think you can help?”

The smile that crossed said Celestial Spirit’s face could have made a Sea King cry.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“YOU FORGOT!?! WE’VE HAD THE SAME DATE NIGHT FOR MILLENIA, YOU SHITTY ARACHNID!!!”

Luffy giggled as their boats rocked with aftershocks, though Zoro looked a bit pale as he watched a furious Aquarius fire water from her urn with enough force to shatter stone.

“Well...That’s _one_ way to get out blood stains.” Nami admitted, voice a bit shaky.

Hikari glanced up from the book in her lap, a beautifully-rendered volume on fairy tales, one hand holding onto Luffy’s vest as he sat on the ‘wall’ of their dinghy and completely unruffled by the turbulence her Spirit was causing.

“Yeah, she finds it therapeutic. Especially after I didn’t call her to help in the last few fights.”

“Why didn’t you?” Zoro wondered, unable to look away as a wave blasted straight through a rocky outcropping at least twenty meters thick.

“It’d be like using a cannon against a rowboat. There wouldn’t have been anything of those idiots left.”

“That...That makes sense…” Nami agreed, silently promising to _never_ get on Hikari’s bad side.

“She’s really strong!” Luffy added, completely unafraid of a being that could easily drown him, Devil’s Fruit handicap or not, and Hikari smiled proudly.

“She’s my very first and strongest Spirit, so Aquarius has been with me since I was a kid. She’s like my big sister.”

Zoro tensed when said Celestial Spirit rose up on the starboard side, a thoroughly-drenched but no-longer-stained white shirt in one hand.

“There you go, brat.”

“Thanks!”

Setting aside her book, Hikari wrung out the excess water and pulled out a sewing kit that had been stowed in Nami’s boat, focusing on threading the needle as Aquarius fixed the other three with a dark, piercing look that would make a thunderstorm seem like a sunny day.

“If any of you _ever_ make Hikari-hime cry, I’ll make the entire Grand Line look like a _children’s party_.”

“Aw, love you too, Aquarius.” The pinkette replied cheerfully, stitching the fabric closed with care as Aquarius made a gesture with her hand to mimic slitting a throat before disappearing in a shower of stardust.

…

Luffy turned to his crew with a grin.

“She seems nice!”

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arms crossed, Zoro leaned back and watched in amusement as Luffy vibrated in place from sheer excitement, gaze riveted on the silver key in Hikari’s hand.

“Remember, I’m just doing this to introduce myself to them.” She voiced firmly, eyeing Luffy as he bounced in place. “So don’t scare them.”

The rubber boy nodded enthusiastically, almost turning himself into a bobblehead, and she sighed in resigned defeat.

Nami perked up from the railing of her own boat as light pulsed off the key’s blade, throwing ethereal shadows over the wood and water, Zoro straightening in surprise while Luffy’s eyes went wide in awe.

“I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits.” Hikari intoned, voice almost reverberating in the air with an otherworldly power that made her eyes sparkle gold. “And now, I beckon you to my side at once! Pass through the Gate! Open, Gate of the Compass! PYXIS!”

A bright light ripped open, a new Gate letting through-

The trio blinked at the large red-feathered penguin that blinked back at them from a white, almost clock-styled face, a large grey compass sitting on its head.

“Aw…” Luffy whined, pouting. “I thought he’d be cooler…”

BAM!

Zoro snickered as her foot slammed into their captain’s face and nearly sent him flying overboard.

“You take that back right now!”

“But he’s weird!”

“TAKE THAT BACK!”

Nami had to smother her laughter with both hands, only catching her breath once Luffy was thoroughly knotted around the mast and Hikari was crouching to Pyxis’ level with a smile.

“Don’t mind him, he’s an idiot. I’m glad to have you on my team, Pyxis.”

“R-Really?” The Spirit stuttered out, poking his wing-tips together uncertainly. “Because I understand if you’re disappointed...I’m not very useful…”

“Hey, don’t talk like that.” She admonished gently, patting his head, and Luffy paused in untying himself, listening. “Not everyone’s a fighter, and that’s okay. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses, and part of being a team is helping cover for each other.”

Pyxis looked up at her like Hikari had hung the moon, eyes shining, and nodded with a wobbling beak.

“Happy told me you were a kind key-holder, but I…”

The penguin-Spirit burst into tears like a geyser, and Zoro had to jump out of the way to keep from being effectively drowned as Hikari jerked back in surprise.

“I couldn’t believe you’d be so nice!” Pyxis blubbered through the torrent, on the verge of unintelligible. “You’re our true princess!”

“Oh, not you, too…” The pinkette lamented, fussing in an attempt to calm him before giving up as Pyxis disappeared back through his Gate. “...Well, _that_ could have gone better.”

“Are all Spirits like that?” Nami wondered as Luffy freed himself, falling on his face with a yelp.

“A lot of silver keys are.” She admitted, fiddling with Pyxis’ key for a moment before replacing it on her ring. “Most of them are very specialized. Pyxis basically acts like an infallible compass, and that’s not exactly impressive compared to others like Lily or Carla, who can hold their own in a fight. Too many key-holders figure they’re not worth anything if they can’t.”

“That’s stupid.” Luffy decided, scowling. “He looks weird, but he’s nakama now!”

A smile pulled at Hikari’s mouth, but she shook it away.

“There’s no such thing as a useless Spirit, or a useless human.” The pinkette agreed, holding up her second silver key. “Step back, we still have one more to meet.”

Zoro grunted when Luffy suddenly landed on his lap, too excited to keep from wiggling, and the swordsman clamped a hand around his middle with pink-tinged ears, dropping his chin on the straw hat to finally still their captain.

Clearing her throat, Hikari held out the key with another pulse of ethereal light.

“I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits. And now, I beckon you to my side at once! Pass through the Gate! Open, Gate of Canis Minor! NIKORA!”

A tear of light, what almost sounded like a POP-

The trio stared at the strange white creature that appeared, carrot-like nose trembling, until Hikari scooped him up with a coo.

“Oh, aren’t you just the cutest? Yes you are! Yes you are!”

“That’s a...dog?” Nami ventured, squinting at the- _admittedly strangely cute_ -Spirit.

“He’s the bloodhound of the Celestial Spirit World.” Hikari explained, Luffy tilting his head as Nikora burrowed into the warm weight of her breasts. “Nikora can scent a key from two leagues away! Can’t you, boy?”

“Oh…” The rubber boy pouted as this processed, settling grumpily into Zoro’s lap. “Does that mean he gets Kari kisses if he finds a key?”

This thought gave the swordsman pause, and he eyed Nikora more closely now, sizing up his new competition until the poor Spirit whimpered and crawled to hide in his key-holder’s cleavage.

“I told you, I got carried away!” Hikari retorted, flushing pink to match her hair. “It won’t happen again!”

“You sure?” Zoro teased, dodging sideways to avoid her kick and pulling Luffy with him.

“Sh-Shut up!”

“If you’re all done, that should be our destination coming up.” Nami interrupted, checking her map once more before pointing to the island coming up in the distance. “That’s the Gecko Islands. We can see about getting a proper ship there, and at least restock on supplies.”

“Looks peaceful enough.” Hikari admitted after a moment of studying the visible shoreline, shielding her eyes from the sun. “We should come in around there. Looks like there’s cliffs behind the shore, but there’s a path.”

With some coordination between the two women, their boats were soon moored on a sandy strip of beach, a slope cutting through the sheer cliffs to the forest above, a few large boulders holding lonely trees that must have taken root after traveling a touch too far.

“Finally on dry land…” Zoro yawned, stretching leisurely as Luffy bounced out ahead of him.

“There’s a village past here?”

“Yeah.” Nami answered, unfolding the salt-darkened paper in her hands. “It looks like it’s a small one, though.”

“Oh! In that case, meat, meat! Meat, meat, mea-”

BAM!

The rubber boy made a crater in the sand, courtesy of Hikari’s fist, and she huffed as Nikora peeked out of her cleavage with a shiver.

“Will you forget about your stomach for five seconds?”

“Careful.”

The swordsman’s warning cut through their byplay, and she scanned the area more closely as Nikora released a low growl.

“I sense people.”

“Where?” Luffy asked, popping up and looking every which way like an alert meerkat. “Where? Where?”

A flicker of movement, and Hikari shoved their captain away moments before the sand exploded where his feet had been, whipping out a tonfa as pirate flags rose from the bushes overhead, tied to crooked, denuded branches.

“So cool!”

“Is this the time to be impressed?” Nami snapped to the clueless captain, Hikari sighing as her shoulders slumped.

“You really need to catch up…”

“I am Usopp, leader of the great pirates who reign over this village!”

The group turned to one of those larger plant-covered boulders, where a young man with long curly black hair and an equally-long nose stood with crossed arms.

“People praise me-and then praise me more-as Captain Usopp! If you’re thinking of attacking this village, then forget it! My eighty million subordinates won’t sit by quietly!”

“Awesome!” Luffy declared, stars in his eyes, and the pinkette pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Eighty million? You couldn’t have chosen a more believable number?”

“Yikes! She saw through it!” He squeaked out, and Nikora matched his key-holder’s unimpressed look very well.

“If you’re going to lie, you shouldn’t just admit it.”

“I admitted it to her!” He wailed, and the pinkette face-palmed as Zoro snickered.

“What? He was lying?” Luffy demanded, and Hikari repeated the face-palm more forcibly.

“What did I do to deserve this?”

“Curse you, you crafty tactician!” Usopp shouted, regaining some of his earlier composure. “Eighty million may have been an exaggeration, but I do have great men under my command!”

“More like three.” The key-holder drawled, causing six flags to go flying with a cry before three young boys ran off in fear.

“Hey, you guys! Don’t run away!”

“This is just sad.” She decided, Nami nodding in agreement as she bent to pick up a lead pellet from the sand.

“I’ve never heard of pirates using slingshots before.”

“You’re neat!” Luffy declared, and Usopp blustered, unaware of the pirate’s strangely-sincere ways, as he loaded another shot.

“Hey, you! Don’t insult me! I’m a very proud man! Because of my great pride, people call me Proud Usopp! You saw it yourself just now! My slingshot skills are far greater than your average pistol!”

Luffy’s grin fell away, expression going rather blank, and Nikora shivered.

“Now that you’ve drawn your pistol, put your life on the line.”

“Huh?” Usopp squeaked out, arms trembling from keeping the tension on his weapon.

“I’m saying those aren’t for threatening people.”

Zoro smirked as he caught on, clicking the white-hilted katana from its sheath.

“What you’re looking at now are _real_ pirates.”

Hands on hips, Hikari sighed as her boys stared down poor Usopp like Sea Kings that had spotted a surprisingly-aggressive dolphin that had been split from the pod.

For being a lying coward, he held out for an impressive amount of time before collapsing in defeat, rattled and exhausted.

“Real pirates definitely have way more punch behind their words…”

Of course, this intimidating image was immediately shattered when the pair burst into laughter.

“We stole those lines!” The straw-hat boy admitted, unrepentant. “From Shanks, a pirate I respect!”

“Shanks?” Usopp echoed, perking up. “You know Red-Haired Shanks, the great pirate?!”

“Yeah.” Luffy answered with his usual blunt cheer, as if this was completely normal. “Your dad’s Yasopp, right?”

This caused such a burst of excitement that their welcoming party tumbled right off his perch onto the sand, and Hikari shared an amused glance with Nami as he sat up, trying to act nonchalant.

“Yeah, Yasopp _is_ my old man, but how do _you_ know that?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cozy little restaurant that Usopp led them to was mostly empty, a product of a small village that could take time to get things done and had no need to rush, and Hikari found she preferred the relative privacy with how Luffy wolfed down his food like a starving man while chattering away with his newest friend.

Guarding her fourth plate of dumplings with a fork, the pinkette frowned at Zoro’s sixth tankard of beer, shoving a plate of onigiri towards him as Nikora nibbled shakily on a strawberry.

With a roll of his eyes, the swordsman ate two before taking a defiant gulp of beer, and she grumbled at the compromise while Nami hid a smile behind a forkful of salad.

“My old man’s on such an awesome ship?” Usopp voiced, clearly in awe.

“I dunno about now, but I bet he’s still with him.” Luffy agreed, cleaning meat off the ham shank in his hand with quick efficiency. “After all, your dad _was_ a good sharpshooter. I heard enough about you to make my ears sore. Yasopp was a great pirate.”

“Yeah, huh?” The other boy agreed, beaming and puffing up with pride. “I’m proud of my old man, who leapt onto these possibly endless seas to live with his life on the line!”

“Then that makes this easier.” Nami decided, eyeing the key-holder’s fifth plate until she earned a glare and then a high-pitched little growl from Nikora. “Do you have any friends in this village who know how to sail, and anyone who can supply a big ship?”

“As you can see, it’s just a tiny village.” Usopp hedged with a shrug. “Sorry, but we can’t live up to your hopes.”

“On the top of the hill…” Zoro mused around his latest dreg of beer, and Hikari hummed in agreement.

“Yeah, there was a mansion up there.”

“Say, do you know them, Usopp?” Nami hoped, the pinkette turning to watch him more closely at his sudden tension. “Think you could ask them to help pay for one?”

“You can’t go there!”

This sudden outburst even gave Luffy pause, and Nikora scrambled into Hikari’s cleavage to hide as Usopp nervously put on a mask of false cheer to cover up the moment.

“I just remembered something I hafta do! I have lots of influence here! Eat and drink as much as you want! Alright! Later!”

“Where’s he running off to?” Nami wondered as the swinging doors clattered with his rapid exit, and Hikari pounded Luffy’s hand to the table as it inched towards her chicken, Nikora peeking out at his strangled yelp.

“Probably to that mansion.”

“What makes you say that?” The navigator wondered, noting that the other woman was now on plate number six.

“The moment we mentioned that mansion, he started acting squirrely.” She pointed out, glaring as Luffy poked at the carrot nose Nikora had protruding from her breasts, and Zoro snickered when she flicked their captain’s nose in retaliation. “He probably knows who lives there, and doesn’t exactly trust pirates he just met not to cause trouble.”

The others nodded at this, thoughtful, and Hikari rolled her eyes, plucking Nikora from her shirt and offering him a honeyed biscuit.

“You’re all hopeless.”

The swinging doors crashed open again, this time revealing the three boys from earlier, each with wooden swords in hand.

“The Usopp Pirates have arrived!”

A long silence followed, not even the little old man behind the counter so much as glancing up, and the trio began to sweat.

“The captain is gone…”

“You don’t think he…”

The boys raced to their table, swords stubbornly raised, and the ringleader puffed himself up.

“H-Hey, pirates! What’d you do with our Captain Usopp?!”

“What’d you do with him?!” The other two echoed in unison, flanking him.

Luffy, honestly not paying attention, leaned back with a sigh to pat his distended rubber belly.

“That meat was yummy!”

The poor boys went white as sheets at this, and Zoro took advantage, voice going extra gravelly to play up his Demon moniker for all it was worth.

“If you’re looking for your captain...We ate him.”

A scream in stereo, and Hikari was only able to half-swallow her giggles as she swatted at Zoro, Luffy collapsing against her in a fit of laughter.

“Oi, they’re just kids!” She scolded, offering the trio a smile that seemed to ease their terror. “You’re captain’s fine. He ran off a few minutes ago.”

“R-Really?” They sniffled, and Nikora reached over to pat the nearest boy’s hand.

“Really. Maybe you know where he went?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“If our captain ran off at this hour, he’d be here, oneesan.” Onion explained, gesturing to the high stone wall that encompassed a mansion at the top of the only hill on the Gecko Islands.

“Why is he coming here?” Hikari wondered, eyes flashing over the gold inlay and the high windows before turning her attention to the boys rather stubbornly, Luffy tilting his head at this almost anxious display.

“To lie.” Carrot answered with a smile.

“That’s a bad thing!” Nami scolded, startling Nikora into hiding behind Zoro’s leg.

“He’s not bad!” Pepper argued. “He’s great! Right?”

“Yeah, he’s great!” Onion agreed with a decisive nod.

“How does that work?” The swordsman wondered, eyes narrowing at the way Hikari started to fidget, avoiding looking at the mansion like a child might avoid looking directly at the shadows in fear of seeing a monster, one hand playing with the metal fairy charm on her keyring like a talisman.

“Kaya, the girl who lives here, is weak, and she’s had depression ever since her parents died from an illness a year ago.” Pepper explained. “Even though she has lots of money, she’s so sad…”

Blinking quickly against a prickle of heat, Hikari took in a shaky breath as Nikora whined softly, scrambling up into her arms and cuddling close to offer comfort.

“So our captain tells his special made-up stories to make her laugh! ‘Cause our captain is the best at telling lies!”

“Oh, so he’s great.” Luffy acknowledged, pressing a hand to Hikari’s back and feeling the hitch in her breath.

“So that’s helped her feel a little better?” Nami wondered, the boys grinning.

“Yeah, a lot better!”

“Great!” The rubber boy cheered, grinning wide. “Let’s ask her for a ship after all!”

“It’s thanks to _Usopp_ that she’s gotten better.” Zoro reminded him, and Hikari rubbed surreptitiously at her eyes to give their captain a flat look.

“You can’t just ask people for ships.”

“Just getting in is impossible.” Pepper warned, pointing down the perimeter wall to where armed guards stood sentry at the only entrance. “There are way strong guards at the gate.”

“Maybe we could schedule a meeting?” Hikari suggested, though she eyed the men suspiciously- “Wait-Where’s Luffy?”

The group turned, almost in dread, to see said rubber boy gripping the iron spikes on top of the wall, stretching back with a grin.

“I’ll go ask! Gum Gum-”

“MONKEY D. LUFFY!” Hikari yelped, grabbing onto his shoulders alongside the others. “DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE-”

“Pardon the intrusion!” He cheered, sending all seven of them over the wall with a snap, and Hikari cursed the air blue as Nikora disappeared with a squeak, pulling out a silver key.

“Open, Gate of the Clock! HOROLOGIUM!”

The clock-Spirit yelped when his chest-door was suddenly yanked open, three young boys being thrown and safely locked inside, moments before he registered the sudden pull of gravity.

Nami yelped when she was pulled into a protective embrace moments before impact, rolling for a disorienting few moments before settling, and blinked as Hikari uncurled from around her, worried dark eyes scanning for injuries as Horologium lurched out of his crater and Zoro cursed from where he was sprawled a few feet away.

“Wow, the boys said.” The Spirit relayed, not so much as scuffed by the sudden landing. “This is really cool!”

“I’m glad _someone_ thought so…” The pinkette muttered, glaring as Luffy popped up with a grin.

“That worked great!”

“DID NOT!!!” The women roared back as the Usopp Pirates tumbled out onto the grass, Horologium knowing when it was time to go.

“Are you alright?”

A young woman leaned out of a second story window, pale and thin in her loose nightdress, long blonde hair falling past her shoulders and dark eyes worried.

“Yeah!” Usopp assured from the tree branch reaching out towards this window, quickly trying to calm her. “It’s okay, it’s okay! They’re new recruits who heard all about me and came from afar to join the Usopp Pirates!”

“No, not me.” Luffy denied bluntly, and Hikari face-palmed.

“I’m here to ask a favor.”

“The favor had better be a doctor, because you’re going to need one.” The pinkette grumbled, offering Zoro a hand up that he accepted with a groan.

“A favor?” The heiress echoed, curious. “Of me?”

“Yeah! We want a big ship-”

BAM!

“You don’t just-”

“You there!”

Hikari paused her tirade at the unexpected shout, and Usopp scrambled to hide as a tall, dark-suited man came around the corner, his dark green hair carefully slicked back and dark eyes sharp on them behind his circular glasses.

“What are you doing?” He demanded coldly, a man accustomed to control and fear, and it made her hackles rise.

“Klahadore…” Kaya acknowledged, the subtle inward curve of her shoulders causing alarm bells in the pinkette’s mind.

“I don’t appreciate you breaking in here without permission.” Klahadore chided, adjusting his glasses with the heel of a palm, and she returned a flat look.

“Is there a way to ask for permission to break in?”

Zoro choked on a laugh trying to hide it, as Kaya tried to interject.

“Actually, Klahadore, these people are-”

“That can wait for now.” The butler cut off briskly, and Luffy frowned at the aggressive tightening of muscles along Hikari’s shoulders. “I can hear all about your reasons later. Now leave, all of you. Or do you have something to say?”

“Yeah, I have something to say, you stuck-up piece of-”

Nami clapped a hand over her mouth before the key-holder could release more vitriol, and Luffy continued untroubled.

“Well, actually, we want a ship!”

“No!”

Zoro took the liberty of knocking their captain upside the head, since Hikari was busy trying to free herself from Nami without hurting her, as Klahadore glanced up.

“Usopp-kun.”

A soft ‘crap’ followed before Usopp creeped back into view, very much a mouse in the sights of a cat.

“I’ve heard all about you.” The butler continued, tone utterly neutral. “You’re well-known in the village.”

“Yeah?”

“I hear you’ve been on many an adventure. Quite impressive for someone so young.”

“You can call me Captain Usopp, too!” The young man replied proudly, confidence returning as he stood tall. “Since you admire me so much!”

“Captain, huh?” Klahadore mused, adjusting his glasses in that strange way that made muscles jump in Hikari’s back. “I’ve heard all about your father, as well.”

The smile fell off his face at that, and Kaya scowled.

“Klahadore, stop!”

“You’re nothing but the son of a filthy pirate.”

Luffy’s good cheer washed away instantly at that, watching through his peripheral as Hikari went very still, gold shining through her dark eyes.

“Nothing you do will surprise me, but I ask that you stay away from the lady of this house.”

“Filthy?” Usopp sputtered, upset and hurt and unable to form words.

“She and you are from completely different worlds.” Klahadore continued, twisting the knife deeper, and Zoro saw the slightest flinch in Hikari’s shoulders. “Is it money you’re after? How much do you want?”

“That’s enough, Klahadore!” Kaya demanded, clearly worked up now. “Apologize to Usopp-san!”

“Hey now, be careful, Kaya!” Usopp worried, seeing how far she was leaning over the ledge.

“What reason is there to apologize to this savage man, my lady? I am merely stating the truth. I feel for you. You must truly hate your great idiot of a father for abandoning his family and village because of his lust for treasure.”

Zoro was forced to grab Hikari around the waist and heft her into his arms, lest she lurch more than a step and crack the butler’s head open on the stone pathway.

“Klahadore!”

“Don’t you dare insult my father anymore!” Usopp burst, using a rope to propel himself safely to the ground and storm towards the butler.

“What are you getting unnecessarily riled up for? Why not simply tell another of your special lies at a time like this?” Klahadore wondered, mocking him. “About how your father is really a travelling salesman, or how you’re not really related by blood-”

And Usopp snapped.

His fist met Klahadore’s nose, sending his glasses flying.

“Shut up!”

“Captain!” The boys squeaked out in shock, peeking out from behind Zoro and Hikari.

“See?” The butler hissed out, righting himself. “You immediately resort to violence. Like father, like son.”

“Shut up!” Usopp roared, fueled by such righteous fury that all his cowardice had melted away. “I’m proud that my father is a pirate! I’m proud that he’s a brave warrior of the sea! You’re right, I _am_ an exaggerator! But I’ll _never_ lie about my pride to be related by blood to a pirate! I’m the son of a pirate!”

“A pirate, a brave warrior of the sea?” Klahadore echoed, unimpressed. “That’s quite a twisted way of putting things. But _you’re_ the undeniable proof of his savage blood. You run around spouting lies, and act violent whenever you’re angry. And to top it off, you cozy up to the lady of this house so you can get her fortune!”

“What? I only-”

“The fact that your father is a pirate is more than enough proof that you’d hatch such a scheme.”

“Savage blood, huh?” Hikari growled out, a bundle of tightly-bundled fury in Zoro’s arms, and Nami edged away at the ice in her tone. “I’ll show the bastard savage blood. Let me go!”

“O-Oi-!”

“Stop, Usopp-san!”

Kaya’s shout brought everything to a sudden standstill.

“Please, no more violence! Klahadore isn’t a bad person! He’s just-He’s just trying too hard to do what’s best for me!”

While this caused Usopp to slowly release the butler’s collar, it did nothing to ease Hikari’s glare, knuckles going white on Zoro’s wrist in lieu of squeezing the man’s neck.

“Leave this place.” Klahadore ordered icily. “Never come near this mansion again!”

“Yeah, I get it. I don’t need you to tell me.” Usopp ground out, brushing past him to storm away. “I’ll never come back here again.”

“You stupid butt-ler jerk!” Carrot shouted, jumping to his defense. “Our captain’s not that kinda guy!”

“Yeah, you stupid-head!” Pepper agreed.

“Stupid-head!” Onion echoed with equal vehemence.

“Stupid-head!” Luffy shouted in solidarity, earning another blow upside the head.

“Why’re you saying it, too?” Zoro scolded, eyeing the butler when a look sent the boys scrambling back behind him and had Hikari nearly snarling.

“You will leave at once, too!”

Nami was honestly impressed the swordsman managed to drag both Luffy _and_ Hikari out of there without any collateral damage.

Though that bite mark was certainly going to need a good flushing out…

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, where’d Luffy go?”

Hikari glanced up from the apple she was aggressively tearing apart, shrugging.

“Who knows?” Zoro brushed off, his sword clashing against Pantherlily’s Bustermarm. “Probably ran after that ‘captain’.”

“Our captain would be at his spot.” Pepper supplied, leaning against the fence near where Nami was perched to watch the swordsmen test each other’s reflexes.

“Yeah, the shore.” Carrot agreed, accepting the grapes Hikari offered him from a basket of fruit. “He always goes there when something happens.”

“Wanna check it out?”

Hikari shook her head, biting into a pear.

“Luffy’s a big boy. He doesn’t need constant supervision.”

“But never mind that, isn’t one of you missing?” Nami realized, counting only two boys where there were once three.

“Yeah, Onion.” The pair acknowledged, chewing on strawberries that Hikari passed over.

“He always just up and disappears.”

“Yeah, and then he shows up all freaked out.”

“Bad news!”

“Right on cue, that one.” The pinkette noted, breaking a banana in half as the swordsmen paused.

“A backwards guy!” Onion gasped out once near enough, pointing back up the path behind him. “A weird guy is backwards-walking this way!”

“Liar.” His fellow ‘pirates’ replied immediately, now stuffing blackberries in their mouths.

“It’s the truth! Just look!”

With a sigh, Hikari leaned forward to do just that, brow quirking when she indeed spotted a bulky trench-coat-wearing, fedora-topped man walking towards them while facing the wrong way, Pantherlily’s mouth twitching with repressed laughter.

“Hey! Who’re you calling a weird guy?” He demanded, revealing a gaunt face partially obscured by heart-framed sunglasses. “I am _not_ weird!”

“Do you not own a mirror?” Hikari drawled, popping a segment of orange in her mouth.

“Don’t be stupid! I’m just an ordinary, passing-by hypnotist!”

“Hypnotist?” Onion parroted. “Awesome!”

“Show us something!” Pepper agreed.

“Yeah, do something!” Carrot pressed.

“What? Don’t be dumb! Why should I have to reveal my techniques to a bunch of strangers?”

…

“Alright, watch this ring closely.”

“You’re gonna do it?” Zoro burst, incredulous at the unprompted turn-around.

“You’ll feel sleepy at the count of ‘one, two, Jango’.” The man claimed, swinging a metal ring by a string in front of the boys. “Alright, here we go! One, two, Jango!”

And all four flopped over in a dead sleep.

“Geez, what’s with this guy?” Zoro complained, and Hikari shrugged.

“I’m guessing the good drugs. Pomegranate?”

“How can you keep eating like that?” Nami demanded, frowning when Zoro sliced the fruit open and joined her in eating the juicy seeds as she slanted the navigator a Look.

“Where do you think I’m getting the energy to hold Lily’s Gate open?”

“A key-holder’s power is derived from their physical and spiritual energy.” Pantherlily explained at their nonplussed expressions, accepting a kiwi with a smile. “To open even a weak Gate like Nikora’s first pulls from a fresh source, like a recent meal. If that’s not an option, then it’s pulled from physical reserves, such as fat cells or a recent night’s sleep. After those run dry, if she were to try opening a Gate, it would come from what is essentially her soul.”

“Which could end in a horrible, agonizing death that would arguably leave me without a soul to go to the afterlife.” Hikari finished blandly. “So, I eat.”

Zoro paused at this, mouth full, and she huffed out a laugh.

“Holding open a silver key is almost nothing. Besides, the more I practice, the less it takes out of me each time. Consider it training.”

With an accepting nod, the swordsman finished his share and stood to face Pantherlily again, who swallowed the last bite of kiwi while blocking a swing.

Nami sighed, brow furrowed, but said nothing more.

The other woman was still the only sane support she had left.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Our captain’s been gone a long time…” Carrot noted as the sun began a slow descent towards the horizon, and Zoro frowned.

“Luffy, too.”

“It _was_ a big shock for him…” Onion reasoned, Pepper nodding along.

“He always watches the sea from the shore when he’s feeling down.”

Happy perked up from where he was sunbathing sprawled over Hikari’s shoulders, tail flicking with interest.

“Hey, is that him, hime?”

Glancing down the dirt path, she frowned at the figure running towards them, shielding her eyes.

“Yeah, it is.”

Said ‘pirate captain’ raced right by them, deaf to their greetings and questions, heading straight to the village with the sort of single-minded determination that implied an urgent need.

“Well, _that’s_ not suspicious…” The pinkette drawled, pulling herself up. “Happy?”

“Aye aye, hime!” The blue cat-Spirit cheered, pushing off her shoulder and sprouting white wings that sent him soaring into the sky.

“What are you all waiting for, a sign from God?” Hikari snarked, walking down the path after her Spirit. “Luffy’s probably got his head stuck in a tree somewhere, and he’s not getting out by himself.”

“Right, oneesan!” The Usopp Pirates cheered, racing to catch up as Zoro sheathed his katana and Nami hopped down from her perch.

“You’re not worried about him?” The navigator prodded, earning flat looks from both crew-mates.

“He’s made of rubber.” She deadpanned, the swordsman snorting in agreement.

“He’s strong.”

Twenty minutes of steady walking had them coming upon a cliff, a jut of forest with an unobstructed view of the open ocean, a lone tree hanging its branches over the sheer drop to provide shade.

“HIME!”

Hikari yelped when a blue, winged missile slammed into her chest, arms automatically rising to cradle a wailing, distraught Happy.

“Whoa, hold it! What’s wrong?”

“He’s dead!” The cat-Spirit blubbered as Zoro caught up, the boys having split off to search.

“Who’s dead?” The swordsman demanded, and Happy pointed towards the cliff, unable to stop his sobs.

“Captain Luffy! He’s dead!”

“Eh?”

Glancing over the edge, Zoro sighed.

“Yeah, there he is.”

“What.” The pinkette deadpanned, following his example and resisting the urge to face-palm. “Oh, for the love of-Happy, he’s not dead, he’s just an idiot.”

“Really?” He sniffled as Nami jogged up.

“Really. Help us down?”

Nodding, Happy grabbed onto her hand with both forepaws and lifted Hikari over the edge, wings beating steadily so she touched the sand below gently enough to barely disturb the surface.

Luffy was folded in on himself, having landed on his head with just enough force for his body to flop backwards rather than forwards, and she gestured for Happy to grab the others while crouching next to him.

A soft snore escaped his slumped form, and the pinkette’s expression was thoroughly unimpressed.

“Seriously?”

Glancing up as Zoro landed behind her, Hikari shrugged.

“He’s asleep. Probably scared the shit out of Usopp when he rolled off the cliff or something.”

Shaking his head in exasperation, Zoro slid a sheathed katana from his haramaki to poke at a downed Luffy as Nami joined them, the poor navigator shrieking in surprise when he suddenly popped up with a yawn.

“Morning!”

“What the fuck happened?” Hikari demanded, fussing over a lazily-blinking Luffy as Happy struggled to airlift the Usopp Pirates down to the beach.

“Huh, I don’t know…” The rubber boy admitted, smiling when Happy plopped his retrieved straw hat back into place and landed on top to hug his head. “I remember talking with Usopp, and then that weird butler showed up with some weird guy, talking about killing the nice girl for her fortune…”

…

“Luffy.” Hikari voiced with slow deliberateness, an almost reptilian tilt to her head that made Zoro feel a tingle of excitement. “Are you telling me that Klahadore is plotting to kill Kaya?”

Watching her now, Luffy nodded.

“And he tried to kill you to hide it?”

Another nod, and a slow blink that reminded Nami of a great beast rousing from a docile sleep.

“...Well, now he has to die.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Captain!”

Usopp visibly tensed at the call, and Hikari frowned at the way he adjusted his forearm-sleeves before facing them with a plastered-on smile.

“Oh, hey, guys!”

“Yo!” Luffy greeted, nearly giving the poor boy whiplash in his surprise.

“You’re alive?!”

“Alive? Yeah, I just woke up.”

“Most people wouldn’t wake up after falling off a cliff onto their _head_.” The pinkette drawled, spinning a tonfa end-over-end across her knuckles.

“This guy was asleep the whole time.” Pepper confirmed, Carrot almost jumping with excitement.

“Anyways, captain, we heard everything!”

“Let’s hurry and tell everyone about the pirates!” Onion agreed, all fired up.

“Tell everyone?” Usopp parroted weakly, stricken, before releasing a bark of laughter that was too loud and too bright to be genuine. “I’m lying like usual, obviously! That damn butler pissed me off, so I decided to claim he’s a pirate!”

Hikari watched him when the boys easily accepted this, disappointed as they were, before pinning the poor coward under a firm glare as the trio departed.

“Talk.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hold still.” Hikari scolded, gripping Usopp’s wrist so she could properly examine the bullet wound grazing his forearm as the sniper squirmed.

“But-”

“You’re going to wish that’s where I’m going to hit you if you don’t let me make sure there’s no shrapnel in here.”

Freezing in place, Usopp managed to muffle his whines while the pinkette thoroughly cleaned away blood and, deeming it clean of fragments, used some disinfectant and wrapped it snugly in bandages.

“There, you big baby, I’m done.”

“Why did you tell them that?” Luffy wondered, now that the danger of being growled at was past.

“Because I’m a liar.” Usopp admitted, serious and forlorn without his earlier bravado. “They were never going to believe me from the start. I was too optimistic.”

“Even so, the truth is the truth.” Zoro pointed out, arms crossed stoically as Luffy studied the other boy with a calmness that belied his usual energetic antics.

“Pirates really are going to come, aren’t they?” Nami voiced, subdued.

“Yeah. They’re definitely going to show up.” Usopp confirmed, knuckles going white over his knees. “But everyone thinks it’s a lie. They think tomorrow’ll be just another normal, peaceful day...That’s why I’m going to stop the pirates at the beach tomorrow, and make sure this stays a lie! That’s the only logical thing for a liar like me to do!”

Rocking back on her heels, Hikari quirked a brow as the supposed coward gained steam.

“Even if I get shot in the arm, even if I’m driven off with brooms, this is my village! I love this village! I want to protect everyone!”

…

“You’re one hell of a nice guy.” Zoro observed with a smirk, one hand resting on the hilt of his white katana. “Pushing your henchmen away and going into battle alone.”

“Which is why I’m not letting you go alone.” Hikari agreed, smile too sharp to be anything close to friendly.

“Just so you know, I have dibs on all the pirates’ treasure.” Nami piped up, smiling.

“Alright, we’ll help you out.” Luffy decided, glancing towards Hikari with a growing grin.

“You guys…” Usopp sniffled, rubbing away the incoming tears. “Are going to fight with me? Why?”

“That bastard is taking advantage of a sweet girl for his own selfish greed, and intended to kill Luffy to hide murdering her.” The pinkette stated flatly, fury making her eyes flash gold in the starlight. “You should be more worried if I’ll leave you a piece of him to step on.”

“There’s a whole bunch of bad guys, right?” Luffy noted, leaning his forearms on her shoulders and plopping his chin on messy pink curls.

“‘Scared’ is written all over your face.” Zoro agreed, leaning on his elbow against Luffy’s back and smirking at the mildly-reproachful look Hikari slid his way.

“Me, scared?” Usopp sputtered, visibly trembling. “I’m perfectly okay with lots of bad guys or whatever! Because I’m Captain Usopp, brave warrior of the sea!”

Knees knocking like drums, the sharpshooter tried in vain to stop them before cracking.

“Damnit! Damnit, this isn’t a show! These are Klahadore’s pirates we’re dealing with! Of course I’m scared! What’s wrong with that?! I don’t want your sympathy! You guys can leave! Leave!”

“We ain’t laughing.” Zoro cut in firmly, any trace of amusement gone.

“We’re helping ‘cause we think you’re honorable.”

“And Kari wants to kick their butts.” Luffy added, poking at her cheek and giggling when the pinkette snapped in a half-playful gesture at the offending finger. “As if we’d risk our lives because of sympathy.”

Usopp burst into a fresh font of tears, and Hikari sighed as she reached out to pat his shoulder.

 _Boys_ …

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Alright.”

Rising from his preparations, Usopp surveyed the oil that had been carefully spread from wall to wall of the slope leading down to the beach.

“They’re going to attack from this shore at daybreak, but the only route into the village is this one slope. Everything else is cliff, making it tougher to come through. In other words, if we can defend this slope to the death, the village won’t get attacked.”

“Oh, that’s easy!” Luffy decided, and Hikari nodded.

“Should be, if we can pick them off before they get through.”

“And if they do?” Nami wondered, a frown forming, and the pinkette shrugged.

“Then Virgo can drop them in a pit. Or Aquarius can drown them. Or I can beat their faces in. All of those are options.”

“You’re really scary.” Usopp admitted, sidling away in what was likely meant to be a surreptitious manner.

“Yup!” Luffy agreed, much too proud of this fact for the sharpshooter’s comfort. “Kari’s always scary when people try to hurt nakama!”

Hikari’s cheeks pinked at this, though she tried to hide it behind a frown as she shoved his shoulder.

“Oi, I’m trying to be serious here.”

“Let’s just hope none of us slip down there.” Nami observed as Zoro chuckled, darting away from the key-holder’s annoyed smack. “It’d be like diving right into an ant-lion pit.”

“I’m amazed you can think up stuff this cheeky!” Luffy praised, and Usopp sputtered, straightening.

“But of course! When it comes to cheekiness and slingshots, I’m utterly confident!”

“It’s almost daybreak.” Zoro warned, one hand on his swords as he watched the sky start going purplish-pink at the edges. “They’ll be coming.”

“Open, Gate of the Tres Felis! CARLA!”

Usopp yelped as the cat-girl appeared, earning an amused tilt of the mouth from her as Hikari spun her key.

“We’re expecting company at daybreak. Keep an eye out for them?”

“Of course, hime.” Carla agreed, looking towards the horizon with unfocused eyes, ears tilted at a relaxed angle and tail swaying leisurely...

Nami about jumped out of her skin when the cat-girl suddenly went ramrod straight, alarm fluffing up her tail.

“They’re not coming to this slope!”

“WHAT!?!”

“Crap! There’s a place just like this to the north, too!” Usopp realized, going pale, and Hikari cursed.

“You mean where we _tied our boats_?”

“MY TREASURE!” Nami nearly wailed, as if her baby had suddenly been thrust into danger.

“Hey, let’s hurry!” Luffy barked, cutting through the rising panic. “They’re gonna get into the village! Where is this place?!”

“If you run straight north from here, you’ll get there in three minutes!” Usopp relayed, knocked from his ashamed self-spiral. “The terrain there is almost exactly the same, so we just need to stop them at the slope!”

“Come on!” Hikari bit out, Carla already disappearing as she ran back up the slope. “We’ve gotta hurry!”

“I’ll be there in twenty seconds!” Luffy swore, barreling past her at a rather impressive speed, but the pinkette paid little mind.

There was a very slim window left to intercept the pirates before they ran amuck through this innocent village, and she was not going to miss it.

Forest gave way to grass gave way to rock, and Hikari skidded to a stop just before the slope began, glaring at the massive cat-headed pirate ship and the pirates that had disembarked onto the shore before it.

“Hey, assholes!” She shouted, only peripherally aware of Usopp and Nami catching up. “Unless you want to know what hell feels like, you’ll get back on your ship and get the fuck out of here!”

The men paused at this, most likely gob-smacked at a petite, pretty young woman threatening them so confidently than actually taking her threat seriously, and she growled in frustration, tonfa clicking to their full lengths in her hands.

“If you want to leave this island in full-body casts, _be my fucking guests_.”

“Um, Kari…” Nami whispered, eyeing the crew of pirates below. “Can you really take them all on?”

“Yeah, there’s an awful lot…” Usopp agreed, visibly sweating, and she glanced back at them with a sheen of gold in her eyes.

“Just keep up.”

Apparently deciding that the trio were not enough of a threat to be cautious, the entire crew charged up the incline towards them, and Hikari _moved_.

Usopp’s jaw hit the ground like an anchor as she met the first wave like a cannonball would a wooden barricade, men flying as others desperately swung their swords, only for the blades to meet the smooth edges of her tonfa and be thrown aside before those same weapons cracked across jaws and shoulders and ribs with bone-shattering force.

Watching the other woman tear through the rapidly-panicking ranks, Nami was even more sure of her earlier promise to stay on her good side.

The forward charge soon turned into a frantic retreat, despite the protests of their captain, the strange hypnotist almost disbelieving as his men turned tail back to the beach in droves.

“I thought you wanted to fight!” Hikari snarled after the scrambling pirates, pupils slit like a cat’s through the flashes of gold in her eyes. “Come on, then! FIGHT ME!”

“Aw, did we miss it?”

A stunned Nami and Usopp turned to see Luffy and Zoro approaching, the captain pouting as he took in the scene.

“I wanted to see Kari fight…”

“What took you guys so long?” Nami demanded, trying to calm her racing heart, and Zoro grit his teeth hard enough to cause sparks.

“ _You’re_ the one who got me stuck back there!”

“That was an accident! It couldn’t be helped! It’s better for one person to be saved than for two to stay down there!”

“Then _you_ should’ve stayed!”

“Are you going to get down here, or am I taking care of these morons by myself?!”

The pair snapped to attention at Hikari’s annoyed growl, already closing the distance as the beaten-down pirates struggled to rise, heads turning as their captain pulled a metal ring from his coat…

“On ‘one, two, Jango’, you guys’ll grow strong. Your wounds will be completely healed, and you will grow stronger and stronger!”

Luffy watched the display curiously as Hikari scoffed.

“He can try hypnosis all he wants, it won’t make a difference.”

“Pathetic.” Zoro agreed, still agitated from Nami’s earlier stunt.

“One, two...Jango.”

A roar went up from the assembled pirates, one swinging his fist into the slope wall and cracking a section loose.

“...Okay, that’s definitely better than what they were doing before.” Hikari admitted, blinking owlishly.

“Go! Crush anyone who gets in the way!” Jango ordered, and Zoro cursed as they charged anew, turning to their own captain.

“Luffy-”

Only for him to suddenly roar in matching fury, barreling headlong into the coming swarm.

“You got hypnotized, too?!”

“Are you fucking serious?!”

At least this particular hypnosis was working in their favor, since a buffed Luffy was proving more than a match for the hypnotized pirates, fists flying fast enough to blur.

“Gum Gum Gatling!”

Nami and Usopp watched, nonplussed, as the freshly-down mob staggered back up and ran like bats out of hell from an approaching Luffy, who ran past once they skidded on the sand and grabbed onto their ship’s figurehead.

“Where’s he going?” Zoro wondered, confused by this entire turn of events, and Hikari’s eyes widened at the sound of splintering wood.

“Holy shit, he’s not…”

The entire front beam came loose with a CRACK of shattering planks, and Luffy turned to approach their enemies holding it like a war-hammer, scattering them like mice.

“On ‘one, two, Jango’, you’ll get sleepy!” Jango babbled out, hastily swinging his strange metal circle. “One! Two! Jango!”

And the rubber boy fell back with a snore, the wooden beam landing on him and effectively taking out all of the pirates anyway as it went, sand flying in waves.

“First the cliff, now this…” Hikari muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

“He still took out most of them.” Zoro acknowledged, as Usopp gaped.

“Luffy’s trapped under there! We need to help him!”

“He won’t die.” The swordsman assured, straightening at the light touch of Hikari’s palm on his arm.

“Looks like he didn’t get them all.”

A pair of men jumped onto the misplaced figurehead, both with a clear cat motif including ears and cat-claw gloves, and Hikari looked skyward for patience when they were introduced as the Meowban Brothers, Siam and Butchie.

“Do you want the big idiot or the small idiot?”

“Whichever gets here first.” Zoro decided, another katana clicking from its sheath.

“I’ll take care of them!” The larger one claimed, and her eye caught the gleam of a gold key in his ‘paw’.

“A Zodiac?” Nami yelped, flinching at the bright light that followed.

“Open, Gate of the Ram! ARIES!”

The Spirit that appeared reminded Zoro of Virgo, mostly human with darker pink curls, tiny brown horns curling on either side of her head, and wearing a white wool minidress with a fluffy collar that she hid in as her key-holder pointed.

“Kill them, Aries!”

Zoro blinked at the disbelieving snort from Hikari at this order, her expression going from interested to utterly unimpressed.

“Sumimasen…” Aries stuttered out, shoulders curving inward as if trying to make herself disappear. “But I...I can’t…”

Usopp jolted forward at her sharp cry when Butchie grabbed her harshly by a horn, yanking the poor Spirit rather violently around.

“What do you mean you can’t?! You’re a Zodiac! You’re supposed to be super strong!”

A hand clamped onto his wrist, and Butchie blinked down in surprise into Hikari’s furious expression for only a moment before crumpling with a yowl of pain, releasing a startled Aries before landing on his knees.

“You’re a pathetic excuse for a key-holder.” She stated darkly, grip twisting and nearly sending him sprawling in a desperate attempt to keep bone from snapping. “Laying a hand on your Spirit like that...I’ll make sure you know how it feels.”

Panic had the large man lashing out with his claws, and Hikari was forced to release him, back-flipping out of range to keep from having an eye gouged out in his frenzy.

“Aries, attack!”

“Sumimasen…” The Celestial Spirit murmured, raising her hands uncertainly. “W-Wool Shot!”

The pinkette dodged deftly sideways, and the ball of wool encapsulated an unsuspecting pirate, who only struggled for a moment before succumbing to the softness.

The nearby downed pirates paled when Hikari pulled out her own gold key, Zoro smirking.

“Open, Gate of the Maiden! VIRGO!”

“Hime?” The maid Spirit voiced, looking towards her key-holder when faced with her fellow Zodiac.

“Keep her busy.” The pinkette ordered, tonfa spinning in her hands, and there was the faintest of fond tilts to Virgo’s mouth as she bowed before facing Aries.

“Of course, hime.”

“Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just ‘cause you’re a woman!” Butchie blustered, staggering to his feet, and Zoro frowned at the jab as Virgo blocked a kick from Aries, Hikari scoffing in amusement.

“Come on, then. Give me your best shot.”

A rush of movement, and Siam appeared at her unprotected back with claws raised.

“Here it is!”

Metal clashed, and Hikari turned to find Zoro’s sword was holding back the five knife-like blades from her neck, eyes a shadowed silver under his bandana.

“Your fight’s with me.”

“So you’re taking the small idiot?” She teased, heart thundering with adrenaline, and the swordsman flashed a smirk over his shoulder.

“Just make sure you take care of the other one.”

Butchie wheezed when her tonfa swung back into his gut, going pale at Hikari’s smile.

“What, him? It won’t even be a warm-up.”

With a heave, the pair shoved their opponents back and split off, sand kicking up from the force as Jango sputtered.

Trusting Zoro to take care of a suddenly-tearful Siam, Hikari ducked under a thrust of claws, tonfa spinning to deflect each blow as Butchie picked up speed.

“Pussy Willow March!”

Sparks flew as his claws skidded harmlessly off the smooth edges of her own weapons, the light revealing the slit of her pupils, and Usopp watched in disbelief as she spun under the assault, both tonfa slamming into his gut and sending Butchie nearly flying back with a wheezing gasp.

“Are they really this strong?”

“Kari doesn’t play around when someone’s abusing others.” Nami noted, head turning as Aries’ next Wool Shot was fired at another knot of downed pirates by a timely intervention from Virgo.

A gasp from Usopp, and her eyes snapped back to see Hikari stumble just in time to avoid those claws tearing her throat open, barely keeping her footing.

“Shit…” The pinkette cursed, frowning at the numbness of her fingers as they clenched over the handles of each tonfa, and Butchie grinned.

“One little scratch, and you soon won’t be able to move at all! It’s my signature Cat Scratch Fever!”

Eyes catching on the shallow cut on the back of one hand, barely a sliver of red where the tip of a knife-claw must have grazed, Hikari cursed softly as the tingling spread further through her veins.

“I don’t have time to play around, then.”

Poor Butchie only had a moment to be nonplussed at her decided lack of fear before the pinkette fired the end of her tonfa, the metallic rope wrapping around tight to pin his arms, and yanked him in to get the other one right in the face.

The force was enough to have the large man land flat on his back, out cold, and Virgo caught her swaying key-holder by the shoulder as Aries faded back through her Gate in relief.

“Hime?”

“I’m fine…” She grit out, forcing lethargic fingers to wrap around the gold and silver key on Butchie’s belt. “Just...Shit, that stuff’s strong…”

Leaving a thoroughly-ravaged, unconscious Siam to stain the slope red, Zoro clamped a hand on her shoulder, startled when the pinkette nearly fell into him at the motion and catching her around the waist.

“Kari?”

“Just a graze…” The key-holder muttered, gritting her teeth and struggling to even lift her arms, as if each muscle had turned to lead and her joints into rusted metal hinges, while Virgo faded in worry. “But I can’t…”

Cursing, the swordsman hefted her onto a hip like one would to carry a toddler, sheathing a sword to free that hand as she pressed a cheek to his shoulder.

“Damn it...Luffy! Get up!” Zoro barked, feeling the slow loss of tension that made Hikari a heavy, limp weight in his grip. “We don’t have time to sleep! Kari’s hurt!”

Nami jerked back, eyes wide, and a strangled squeal escaped Usopp’s mouth as he watched the wooden beam suddenly fly out into the ocean, Luffy up and alert as if he had not been asleep just a moment ago.

“Kari’s hurt?!”

Jango barely managed to dance aside as the rubber boy barreled past, blinking owlishly behind his heart-glasses when Luffy skidded to a halt next to Zoro, fussing over a slack Hikari in a panic.

“What happened?! Kari, are you okay?!”

“I’m fine…” She grumbled, frowning at the effort it took to make her fingers slowly curl. “Just a scratch…”

“Jango.”

The entire tableau froze, Nami and Usopp mid-run down the slope, and turned as one to the striking figure above them, and Klahadore stared back with a chilling expression, hands encased in furry gloves with long blades attached to each finger.

“I can explain!” The hypnotist insisted, reaching a new level of terror, and Zoro shifted to shield Hikari as Luffy stepped forward, shoulders straightening at her low growl.

“Night is long gone now…” The so-called butler noted coolly, adjusting his glasses in that strange way that prevented those blades from cutting him. “So it seemed odd that the plan wasn’t making any progress. To think that these brats have held you back...How the Black Cat Pirates have fallen. Right, Jango?”

“But…” Jango sputtered, pointing desperately towards Usopp as his still-conscious crew cowered. “You said letting that kid go wouldn’t cause any problems!”

“Yes, I did say that. But so what? We knew he was going to try to stand up to us. The only thing I didn’t count on was you guys’ _feebleness_.”

Usopp’s gaze flickered, eyes widening, and Hikari lurched uselessly as Klahadore turned, claw-blades raised-

“KAYA!”

Zoro grunted at the sudden strong grip on his wrist, looking down to find the key-holder’s eyes a burning gold as she watched blood seep from Usopp’s back where he lay over a startled Kaya.

“Usopp-san! Are you okay?”

“Kaya...What are you doing here?” The sharpshooter ground out as Kaya moved to kneel beside him, clearly worried.

“I’m so sorry, Usopp-san...I know you may not accept my apology, but I just couldn’t believe it. Klahadore, a pirate…”

“Never mind that! Why are you here?!” Usopp burst, struggling up despite the pain. “I told you to run away! Your life is in danger!”

“How can she run when he’s fighting for her?” Hikari muttered, Luffy’s head turning to catch her words as Kaya spoke through her tears.

“But you’re fighting! Even after I treated you so horribly, and you’ve been hurt so much, you’re still fighting for me! So I…”

“Miss Kaya.”

Klahadore brought the heiress up short, expression broken from betrayal.

“Why are you here?”

“Stop this.” Kaya forced out, anger and hurt breaking through the pain as she stood. “Stop this, Klahadore! Merry told me everything! Klahadore, please! If you want my fortune, you can have it all! Just please leave this village! Right now!”

“I will gladly accept it, but…”

Klahadore almost looked wistful, and Hikari ground her teeth in frustrated fury.

“There’s one thing I want, you see. What I want...is peace of mind.”

“Peace?” Kaya echoed, rattled.

“Yes. I want simple peace.” The man confirmed. “I find the villagers’ trust that I’ve fostered these past three years to be nice and comfortable now. So I want to have that peace of mind forever.”

Kaya visibly steeled herself, reaching into the pocket of her heavy brown jacket.

“And I will have that peace, and your fortune. In short, pirates _will_ come to the village, and you will leave your will and die. These two things are absolute.”

“Run!” Usopp pleaded, grabbing onto the girl’s ankle desperately. “Run away, Kaya! There’s no use talking to him! Run away!”

“When I say, throw me.” Hikari whispered, fingers closing jerkily around a silver key, and Zoro shared a glance with Luffy before nodding.

“Leave this village!” Kaya demanded again, drawing a pistol and leveling the barrel at him.

“Oh, you’d point a gun at me.”

“Leave this minute!”

“I see.” Klahadore mused at the tremble in her hands, falling far too easily into his old persona. “You’ve certainly grown a lot these past three years, Miss Kaya.”

The man approached slowly, removing one of his fearsome gloves, and her resolve visibly cracked.

“Do you remember? So much has happened in three years. We spent so much time together, even before your parents passed away and you became bedridden. So much time, so many memories...Together, we suffered...Together, we rejoiced…”

“Klahadore…”

“I would visit the city with you, and whenever you had a fever, I constantly looked after you. You listened to my stories so happily. I devoted myself to you for so long…”

A shaky inhale, and Hikari tried to blink away the heat in her eyes as Klahadore wrapped his fingers around the gun’s barrel, tone shifting.

“Yes, for so long, I endured it. Yes, it was all so that I could kill you today.”

The weapon clattered to the ground with Kaya’s tears.

“I, a man once known as Captain Kuro, had to smile humbly for some snot-nosed girl. I went against my nature and sucked up to you. Do you understand these daily insults? Do you understand this man once known as Captain Kuro?!”

Usopp reacted, picking up the gun and jolting up to fire-

Klahadore blurred, as if dancing around the deadly projectile, reappearing with both gloves in place and one caging Usopp’s head in deadly blades.

“Come to think of it, I still owe you for hitting me.”

“Usopp-san!” Kaya cried out through her tears, horror-stricken.

“You hit me with all your might, as I recall…”

“NOW!”

Spinning to gain some momentum, Zoro heaved just as Luffy snapped his arm forward, and Nami’s jaw dropped as Hikari went flying through the air right towards danger moments after the straw-hat boy’s fist.

“Open, Gate of the Clock! HOROLOGIUM!”

Luffy’s knuckles impacted the opposing captain’s face just as a shocked Kaya was tackled into the Celestial Spirit’s torso, the door automatically closing even as Horologium tried to grab his fallen key-holder.

“Hime-?”

“Gate Close!”

“Hime-!”

Kuro, dazed as he was by the blow, could only stare while the Celestial Spirit disappeared back through his Gate, Kaya safely tucked away inside his protective body.

Usopp fell harshly on his butt, dumbfounded, as Hikari used what strength she could muster to roll onto her side, smile wickedly sharp.

“Looks like you need a new plan, Kuro.”

The situation sunk in after a few more moments, and Kuro visibly cracked.

“You-”

Three katana blocked his cat-paw blades before a Gum Gum Pistol knocked the supposed-butler away, Luffy snorting like an enraged bull as Zoro lifted their still-uncoordinated crewmate onto his back.

“No one hurts my crew!”

Visibly fuming, Kuro carefully wrapped up his rage in calculating ice, straightening from where he had landed.

“Jango.” He ordered as Nami dragged Usopp out of the danger zone, glancing back to see Hikari force her arms to wrap around Zoro’s neck. “Follow the plan. Hypnotize the girl to summon her Spirit, hypnotize Kaya to write her will, and then kill them both.”

“I’m on it.” The hypnotist agreed, spinning metal rings in each hand, and Zoro glared while placing his white katana between clenched teeth.

“Take one step closer, and I’ll kill you, hypno-freak.”

“Careful…” Hikari warned lowly, purposely hiding her face in the swordsman’s neck and feeling his pulse jump.

“Just hold on.”

“Take care of Kari, Zoro.” Luffy ordered, cracking his knuckles. “I’ll take care of _him_.”

“Aye, captain.”

In a split second that Usopp barely caught, the battle was on.

Zoro and Jango were a whirlwind of razor-sharp blades, sparks flying with each clash, as Luffy’s leg stretched into a Gum Gum Whip that had Kuro ducking and charging in.

A chakram whirled past the swordsman’s arm, close enough that Hikari felt the breeze of its passing and instinctively flinched, and Zoro decided this had gone on long enough.

“Tora…”

Powerful swings of his blades, and a spray of blood.

“Gari!”

Waiting a few moments, Hikari peeked out to be sure the hypnotist was safely downed before relaxing.

“Good job. A for technique, A+ for not being covered in your own blood.”

“You could at least _sound_ grateful.” Zoro groused, ignoring the burning in his ears at the giggle this received.

“You say that like I graded you badly.”

Both blinked as Luffy’s head stretched past them, snapping back with all the force of a cannon ball.

“Gum Gum Bell!”

Nami and Usopp winced at the definite BAM that knocked Kuro right into dreamland, adrenaline starting to slow now that the battle was won.

“ _So_ …” Hikari drawled into the silence, eyeing the many fallen pirates. “Anyone got some rope?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, is Kari gonna be okay?” Luffy fretted as one of Kaya’s servants stepped out of the guest room said key-holder had been placed in, rocking side to side as Zoro glanced up from cleaning his katana.

“Miss Dragneel is rather lucky.” The woman admitted, wiping her hands off on her apron. “Her heart and lungs are unaffected by the paralytic poison. She won’t be able to eat by herself for a few days, but-”

“She can’t _eat_?!” Luffy realized with a horror most would have felt while facing down Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates, already on his feet and bursting through the door. “KARI!!!”

If Hikari had been capable of jumping, she would have at the sudden tearful arrival of her captain, though she did wheeze when he tackled her in an octopus-like hug.

“I’m so sorry you can’t eat all the wonderful meat!” He blubbered, and the pinkette deflated with a sigh as Zoro skidded through the doorway, scowling.

“Oi! Are you trying to kill her?!”

“But she can’t eat meat, Zoro!”

“I can still eat, Luffy.” She explained patiently, managing to plop her hand on his straw hat in a comforting gesture. “I just have a problem moving my hands, see? So I can’t feed myself.”

“Oh…” The rubber boy realized, processing this for a moment before grinning. “Then I’ll help feed you, Kari!”

“You mean you’ll eat all of it.” Zoro snarked, stepping up to the spacious queen-sized bed that Luffy was helping take up space on, earning a scowl in return.

“Will not! Kari needs to eat, too!”

“Right now, I’d like to sleep.” She admitted, a yawn cracking through, and Luffy nodded fast enough to nearly knock foreheads.

“Okay!”

Hikari only grumbled a bit when he maneuvered her with some care, settling into being the ‘little spoon’ with a sigh as Zoro rolled his eyes in amusement.

“Come on, Zoro! It’s comfy!”

“Wha-Whoa!”

The swordsman grunted when he was pulled into the mattress, cursing profusely before finally giving up and letting Luffy do as he pleased, ending up the ‘pillow’ against the already-packed headboard with both in his lap.

“That’s better.” The rubber captain decided, pleased, and Hikari blew out a sigh, cheeks pink as he pet her mussed curls.

“You’re a menace.”

Luffy just laughed, and Zoro leaned back to stare at the ceiling instead, ears red.

 _Menace, indeed_.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hikari was simultaneously relieved and a little disappointed when the paralyzing poison fully left her system three days later.

Yes, it had been frustrating to be incapable of so much as rolling over on her own, but Luffy’s brand of mother-henning had been... _entertaining_ , if nothing else.

Popping one last dumpling into her mouth, the pinkette relaxed onto her elbows on the table while pushing her plate towards Luffy, who cheered before devouring the rest as Nami grimaced.

“Well, we’ve eaten.” Zoro voiced, polishing off the last of his ale. “We should get going now.”

“Yeah.” Their captain agreed once his mouth was empty, perking up when the restaurant doors swung open.

“Here you are!”

“Kaya!” Hikari greeted, smiling as the heiress approached with new confidence in her stride.

“Are you alright, being out of bed?” Nami wondered, noting with some amusement how Luffy sat extra close to their own once-bedridden companion and Zoro kept a close eye, as if expecting her to drop a glass.

“Yes, my sickness this past year was caused by the mental dismay from having lost my parents, and Usopp-san really cheered me up, too.” Kaya assured, smiling. “I can’t stay coddled forever.”

A smile broke across Hikari’s face at that.

“No, you can’t.”

“You’ve done so much for me. Thank you. I’ve prepared a present for you from the bottom of my heart, please accept it.”

Curious, the quartet followed her out of the village and down to the northern shore to find-

“A caravel!” Nami squealed in joy, taking in the ram-headed ship with wide eyes.

“Can we really have this?” Luffy hoped, bouncing in place, and Kaya nodded.

“Yes, please use it.”

“It’s a slightly older model, but I personally designed it.” Her butler, Merry, explained proudly. “A carvel-make caravel, with lateen sails and a central stern rudder, the Going Merry! Let me explain the running rig. First, about the Kruger net yard adjustment-”

“No, no!” Nami cut in, shoving a clueless Luffy aside. “You can explain the ship stuff to me!”

“What a good ship!” The rubber boy praised, not at all bothered at being dismissed from the more technical talk. “Especially this front! So cool!”

“The inspiration’s obvious, at least.” Hikari drawled, unable to help a smile. “And fitting, considering I got Aries.”

“We’ve loaded it with everything you might need on a voyage.” Kaya informed them, beaming. “Oh, and Hikari-san, I have a gift for you, as well.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to get me anything.” The pinkette assured, almost waving her hands. “This ship is more than enough.”

“You risked your life to make sure I was safe.” The heiress retorted firmly, reaching into a pocket of her dress. “This is the least I can do.”

“Seriously, it’s fi-Is that a key?” Hikari squealed out at the sight of the silver key being presented to her.

“My family has held onto this for a few generations, but no one on this island is a key-holder. I’m sure you’ll get much more use out of it.”

“Oh, it’s Eisaku.” The pinkette cooed, cradling the silver key like one would a babe.

The moment was broken by the sudden arrival of a rolling green boulder, Usopp strapped in and screaming along down the slope.

“What’s he doing?” Luffy wondered, nonplussed, and Zoro shrugged.

“Let’s just stop him for now. He’s on a collision course with the ship.”

The pair held up a foot each as the bag rolled onto sand-

BAM!

Hikari hissed in sympathy as the ‘boulder’ was stopped with poor Usopp’s face used as the brake.

“Well, that’s _one_ way to do it…”

Leaving Usopp and Kaya to their goodbyes, the fledgling pirate crew worked to move all their supplies and treasures onto the Going Merry before gathering on the bow, watching.

Sitting on the white-painted railing, Hikari looked over the three newest keys in her collection with a smile as Zoro leaned next to her, one arm stretched out at her back while Luffy kept them in his peripheral, chin resting on folded arms.

“You guys take care, too!” The sharpshooter called out. “Let’s meet again sometime!”

“How come?” The rubber boy wondered, blinking owlishly.

“Huh? How come?” Usopp repeated, frowning. “Man, you’re antisocial. I’m gonna be a pirate too, so we’ll meet on the high seas eventually.”

“What’re you talking about?” Zoro retorted, frowning. “Get on already.”

“We’re friends now.” Hikari agreed, and Usopp froze for a moment before bursting with cheer.

“I get to be captain, right?!”

“Don’t be dumb! _I’m_ the captain!”

Hikari just threw her head back and laughed.


	5. Baratie Arc

“Okay, everybody ready?”

Luffy nodded rapidly, a tightly-coiled ball of anticipation, and Usopp leaned in, eager to see a summoning without being distracted by sheer terror.

“Get on with it.” Zoro voiced, sitting against the railing where he had been napping. “You’ve been putting this off for days.”

“No one asked for your fucking opinion, Roronoa Zoro!”

Swallowing a laugh at his mock-affronted protest, Nami waved off the byplay with a smile.

“Come on, Kari. We all want to meet them.”

Grumbling under her breath, Hikari adjusted the hem of her t-shirt- _which had the picture of an adorable panda surrounded by piles of books with the words ‘This Is My Happy Place’ underneath_ -and held out a gold key, Usopp watching in slack-jawed awe as ethereal light danced across the Going Merry’s deck.

“I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits. And now, I beckon you to my side at once! Pass through the Gate! Open, Gate of the Lion! LEO!”

Luffy’s eyes went wide at the Spirit that appeared, startled at the change.

Where Leo had been a shadow before, wrinkled and tired down to the bones and immeasurably sad, now he was very much _not_ , sharply dressed and confident and adjusting his tinted glasses with a smile.

“I was starting to think you’d forgotten me, Hikari-hime.”

“I didn’t have time for proper introductions.” She explained, shrugging. “Or the space.”

“And I appreciate you not calling on me to face Aries, even if it was only as a distraction.” He admitted, almost sheepish. “She’s a gentle heart, but she would have fought if it was ordered of her, even against me.”

“You know Aries?” Luffy voiced, curious, and the Celestial Spirit slanted him a smile.

“We all know each other, to some extent. Not only have we shared various key-holders over the centuries, but the Zodiacs have our own section of the Spirit World.”

“When they’re not summoned, they all spend time together.” Hikari agreed, hands on hips. “The female Spirits have a daily tea, for one.”

“Is there meat there?”

The pinkette rolled her eyes, resigned, as Leo chuckled.

“Not at the tea parties, no. They prefer sweets.”

“I’m sure Virgo will bring some next time I summon her.” She assured, which made the rubber captain light up.

“Yeah! It’s not as good as meat, but that’s okay!”

“You look stronger.” Zoro voiced, and Nami nodded as the Celestial Spirit’s leonine ears twitched.

“Yeah, you’re looking much better than last time.”

“Ah, that’s all thanks to Hikari-hime.” Leo explained smoothly, adjusting the ring around his finger. “Even as new as our bond is, it’s already much stronger than what I had with Nise. The weaker the bond, the weaker we are in your world. That’s the way of things.”

“Is that why Aries couldn’t hurt us?” Usopp wondered, holding his chin thoughtfully. “Because her bond with that Butchie guy was too weak?”

“Nah, he’s just an idiot.” Hikari drawled, still thoroughly unimpressed with the Black Cat Pirate. “He ordered Aries to kill us, remember? Well, Aries’ abilities aren’t made for killing. You saw her wool, it’s for immobilizing and pinning down enemies, slowing them down, and to act as defensive barriers for her key-holder. If he wanted a Spirit to kill us, he’d have needed one like Sagittarius, Tauros or Cancer who are built for offense.”

“It’s important to know your Spirits in order to use our abilities to the fullest.” Leo agreed, head tilting with a pleased smile to his new key-holder. “A lesson I see you’ve learned well. I was already given a rather extensive lecture from Aquarius on how to treat you properly, though I have no intention of stealing your virtue away unless you wish it, hime.”

“Down, tiger.” Hikari snarked, rolling her eyes and missing the glare Zoro adopted. “I’m not interested.”

“Ah, my apologies.” Leo almost purred, amused. “I was unaware you already had your heart set on another.”

Hikari turned bright red at this declaration, almost steaming, and Usopp yelped when Leo dodged a thrown barrel.

“D-Don’t say such stupid things!”

Laughing, the Celestial Spirit wisely faded back through his Gate before she could find something else to hit him with, and Luffy tilted his head at her thoroughly-flustered state.

“Hey, Kari, he seems nice!”

“Menaces, the lot of you…” She grumbled, glaring at Zoro’s pleased chuckle.

“Well, Aries should be an improvement.” Nami advised, Usopp popping out from behind Luffy with a nod.

“Y-Yeah!”

“Call her, call her!” The straw-hat boy agreed, bouncing in place.

“Jeez, alright, alright…”

Unclipping the second new gold key from her ring, the fairy and star jangling in welcome, Hikari sent a pulse of power through the metal.

“I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits. And now, I beckon you to my side at once! Pass through the Gate! Open, Gate of the Ram! ARIES!”

“Sumimasen…” The timid Celestial Spirit immediately apologized, fidgeting with the hem of her wool dress, and Nami saw the tension just fall right off Hikari’s shoulders.

“Hey now, there’s nothing to apologize for.”

“Sumimasen, I didn’t mean to apologize…”

“But you just-”

Usopp yelped when a piece of taffy was thrown into his mouth unexpectedly, nearly gagging in surprise as he toppled over dramatically, and Hikari offered the small handful left to the skittish Aries with a smile.

“Ah, you don’t have to worry so much. We’re all friends here.”

Blinking slowly, the Spirit accepted a piece cautiously, melting slowly as the sweetness spread across her tongue.

“I know you’ve been through a lot with your last couple of key-holders, but I promise, it’ll be better now.” Hikari swore, holding Aries’ gaze. “We’re here for you, too.”

Dark eyes wavering with tears, the ram-Spirit nodded shakily.

“Sumimasen, hime...I won’t let you down.”

With a bow, Aries disappeared back through her Gate, and Luffy frowned in thought.

“Hey, she reminds me of the weird penguin…”

“Pyxis isn’t weird!” Hikari snapped, and he shrugged the scolding off.

“She apologizes a lot for being different. That’s dumb.”

“Like I said, most key-holders only appreciate Spirits that are offensive fighters.” She reminded him, playing with the two silver keys in her hand. “Of the four I’ve gotten recently, only Leo fits that description. Aries is almost purely defensive, Kurama’s a spy, and Eisaku acts like a more powerful Transponder Snail. They’re strong, just not in the way Leo or Aquarius are, and too many people don’t appreciate it.”

“That’s so sad…” Usopp blubbered, and Zoro reached out to pat his shoulder.

“I’m so glad they have you now.” Nami commented, sincere, and Hikari rubbed at a pinking cheek.

“Hey now, don’t get all sentimental on me…I’ve still got two more to go.”

Luffy’s rubbery arms snapped out, pulling a startled Zoro into his side so the rubber boy could climb onto his lap to watch.

“I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits. And now, I beckon you to my side at once! Pass through the Gate! Open, Gate of the Chameleon! EISAKU!”

This Spirit was very much a chameleon, roughly the length of Hikari’s forearm not including a long, curling tail, scales rippling like a rainbow as the Spirit sat and two bulbous eyes turned every which way before focusing on the key-holder.

“Hello.” He greeted, voice a soft, slow drawl. “It’s been a long time. Am I still in East Blue?”

“Yes, we just left the Gecko Islands.” She supplied as Luffy perked up.

“Wow! He’s a lizard!”

“He’s a chameleon.” Nami admonished, studying the strange speaker almost hidden against the scales of Eisaku’s right side.

“Yup.” He agreed easily, each eye blinking just out of sync with each other.

“Is that a microphone?” Zoro wondered, head tilting to better take in the handheld little microphone tucked behind and under Eisaku’s foreleg, a curly wire connecting it to the speaker on that same side.

“Yup.”

“Like I said, he’s the Transponder Snail of the Celestial Spirit World.” Hikari explained, a bit exasperated, as she offered an arm for the chameleon-Spirit to climb up. “He can make calls, record sound, take pictures and video...He even has a radio function!”

“Radio?” Usopp parroted, intrigued enough to creep a bit closer, and Hikari smiled.

“He can put out a pretty good signal that would cause every Transponder Snail in range to activate, broadcasting whatever he sends.”

“Cool!” Luffy decided, eyes sparkling as Eisaku lazily wrapped his tail around her wrist for stability. “So I could tell everybody I’m gonna be Pirate King?”

“Well, everyone in range.” Hikari allowed, rubbing gently over the lazily-blinking chameleon-Spirit’s head so he purred. “And I’m not sure how large that is. I guess we’ll see.”

“Yup.”

“He needs to stop doing that.” Nami voiced, a touch queasy when one eye rolled to glance at her as the other followed the progress of Luffy’s stretching hand across the deck.

“Bossy.” The pinkette teased, though she allowed Eisaku to fade back through his Gate despite Luffy’s whine.

“Aw, I didn’t get to poke him…”

“You’d have gotten a tongue in your eye for that, so be grateful.” She scolded, the rubber boy sticking out his own tongue in disgust at the thought as Zoro chuckled.

“Kinda weird, though.”

“No one asked your opinion, Roronoa!”

“So a fighter, a shield, a radio…” Usopp muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Seems like a weird group!”

“Like we aren’t?” Hikari snarked, tumbling the last silver key between her fingers.

“All of you are insane.” Nami agreed, earning affronted looks from Zoro and Usopp as the key-holder laughed.

“Come on!” Luffy encouraged, bouncing in place and forcing the swordsman to pin an arm over his waist. “There’s one more, right? I wanna meet them!”

“Alright, alright, jeez.” The pinkette giggled, calming herself before holding out the silver key. “I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits. And now, I beckon you to my side at once! Pass through the Gate! Open, Gate of the Fox! KURAMA!”

More like the other silver keys Hikari possessed, Kurama was most definitely a fox, though one the size of a German Shepherd with dark, vibrant orange-gold fur and nine fluffy, white-tipped tails that flicked in time with each other as he regarded all of them with vulpine green eyes before rising onto white-tipped rear paws.

“Well, this is certainly different…”

“Hello, Kurama.” Hikari greeted, crouching to be more on his level. “I’m Hikari, and this is my crew.”

“Ah, you’re the hime Happy’s always talking about.” The fox-Spirit noted, hackles smoothing. “I’ve swapped hands a lot the last couple of weeks, I wasn’t sure who held my key in the end.”

“You can tell that?” Nami voiced, intrigued, and Kurama shrugged.

“Vaguely. Enough to know when ownership changes, at least.”

“So cool!” Luffy cheered, rubbery hands stretching out to try petting an amused Spirit’s tails as they flicked and twisted away from his fingers. “Why’ve you got so many tails?”

“I’m a kitsune.” Kurama explained proudly, lips splitting into a vulpine grin. “A nine-tailed fox, master of illusions and espionage, at your service.”

"Ah, so a clever fox!" Usopp realized, arms crossed confidently. "I'm sure you'll learn a lot from me! I once tricked a whole island into thinking I was a ghoul to save a girl from being eaten by savages! That's why they call me Clever Usopp!"

"Really?" Luffy breathed in awe, Zoro face-palming as Hikari rolled her eyes, and Kurama snickered.

"Oh, this'll be fun…"

"You be nice." The pinkette scolded, pinning her new Spirit with a firm look. "He's our captain, so his word's as good as mine."

Ears flicking in surprise, Kurama studied her before bowing deeply.

"And so it shall be. I look forward to working with you, hime."

"Don't-"

Hikari sighed as the mischievous Spirit disappeared, shoulders slumping.

"Call me that…"

"Why _do_ they call you that?" Nami wondered, already considering the possibilities of a spy Spirit.

"Because they're all out to drive me nuts." The key-holder huffed, though Usopp snapped his fingers. 

"Or maybe they think you're a long lost princess that was kidnapped as a baby and stuck in our world, but a curse prevents them from telling you, so they're trying to signal your true heritage by calling you hime because you really are their hime!"

…

"Did I hit your head with that barrel?" Hikari drawled, dry as a desert, and Zoro burst into laughter.

"Have you met Kari? What sort of princess curses like a sailor?"

"Are you trying to say something, Roronoa?!"

"Huh?" The swordsman grunted, caught off-guard by her sudden shift. "But you were just-"

"What, princesses have to be dainty flowers in dresses?" She growled, temper thoroughly riled, and Luffy quickly scrambled to hide behind his swordsman as the pinkette stormed closer. "All sweet and pretty, without a thought in their head except on what the next fashion is? Because let me tell you now, Roronoa Zoro, that's not how it works! A princess can fight and cuss just as well as anyone else! Do you have a problem with that?!"

All three boys rapidly shook their heads in the negative, and Nami held out a chocolate bar like a shield, wide-eyed.

"Good." Hikari huffed, grabbing the offering and breaking off a piece aggressively with her teeth. "I say we break for lunch." Usopp squeaked out, trembling from the tip of his nose to his clunky boots, and the other three nodded rapidly.

"Agreed."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hikari found that, when it came to children, pets and Luffy, silences were a calm before the storm rather than anything close to peace.

So when her captain hunched over a black stretch of cloth on the ship’s deck, more quiet than he ever was outside of a serious fight or sleep, the pinkette made sure to keep an eye on him while reading a book on Transponder Snails, Happy sprawled across her shoulders and snoring about fish.

Zoro was happily oblivious, napping just to her left against the railing, and Nami was too buried in her maps to notice any of them, so it was up to Hikari, as usual, to make sure none of them died from whatever harebrained adventure Luffy was currently concocting.

“Foolish pirates!”

Usopp leaped from the upper deck, as if brandishing a sword.

“You would knowingly attack the invincible fleet commanded by Captain Usopp-sama of the Going Merry?! Attack them, men! Attack!”

Even Happy did not much as twitch, though Zoro seemed to yawn extra wide, and the sharpshooter deflated.

“C’mon, you guys, show _some_ interest in other people…”

“All done!”

Luffy turned with a grin, holding out the fabric he had been laboring over like a trophy.

“Look! A pirate flag! Now that Usopp’s joined and we have five people, we need to have our own mark!”

“ _That’s_ our mark?” Zoro clarified, matching Hikari’s deadpan expression.

“Our mark is lopsided.”

“A pirate flag is a symbol of death, a symbol of fear.” The swordsman argued, and Nami nodded.

“I do sense fear, though. Fear of your talent.”

“Wish you would’ve told me first!” Usopp spoke up, grinning. “Don’t forget about me, the gifted artist!”

“Gifted artist?” Luffy echoed, awed, and the key-holder rolled her eyes as Usopp puffed up proudly.

“I’ve drawn graffiti on walls for fifty years straight! When it comes to painting, I’m in a league all my own!”

“Awesome! Fifty years?”

“That means he’s an old man now.” Zoro teased, the navigator giggling in agreement.

“Not only that, but he must have five or six grandkids by now.”

“That’s awesome, too!”

Luffy yelped when Hikari bonked him on the head with her book, Happy smothering his laughter with both paws.

“Idiot.”

Usopp went straight to work, and had a finished product in record time, brandishing the cloth confidently.

“Alright! Behold this work of art!”

“Since when did Luffy have a long nose and a slingshot?” The pinkette deadpanned as Luffy and Zoro both knocked their resident ‘artist’ upside the head.

“Who told you to make _your_ flag?”

A bit more painting, and Usopp presented the straw-hat-wearing skull Luffy had tried to create, this one neat and symmetrical.

“I guess that’s more like it.”

“Wow, it’s pretty good.” Nami admitted, hands on hips.

“At least it won’t bring shame to our poor ship.” Hikari agreed, Happy sitting up on her shoulder.

“Yeah! It’s good!” Luffy cheered, pointing up towards the main sail. “Alright, Usopp, draw one on the sail, too!”

“Right!”

“I’ll help!”

Watching as her Spirit airlifted the sniper to do the work, Hikari sighed, unable to help a smile.

 _Boys_.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Well, whatever! I’ll humor you for now!” Usopp claimed, slurping from his bowl of ramen as Hikari dished out her own helping. “But if you do anything too cowardly, I’m taking over immediately!”

“You say that like I’d let you take the title.” The pinkette drawled, and he released a nervous laugh as she sat across from him, very much a panther sizing up a fat rabbit.

“Of course! The great Captain Usopp can take on a whole crew of pirates!”

“So can she.” Zoro noted from where he was reclined against the fridge, and Usopp paled at the memory while Luffy grinned.

“Yeah! I wish I’d seen it!”

“Trust me, you don’t…”

“But anyways, I was thinking, there’s one other position we need to fill before going into the Grand Line.” Their rubber captain voiced, and Nami perked up.

“Yeah! We have a fancy kitchen, too! If you pay me, I can do it!”

“Your appreciation for my efforts is staggering.” Hikari drawled, the navigator smiling nervously as Zoro slit an eye open.

“You want to keep up with Luffy?”

“In that context, I’m happy to let Nami do it.”

“H-Hey!”

“Yeah!” Luffy cheered. “All pirate ships need one, huh? A musician!”

...

BAM!

“Idiot.” The pinkette scolded, earning a pout.

“But pirates sing, you know!”

The sound of splintering wood cut through her next words, everyone perking up as an unfamiliar voice came through the closed wood door.

“Come out, you damn pirates!”

Luffy jumped up to confront this interloper, Nami and Usopp cautiously peering through the little circular window to see what was going on, and Hikari rubbed at her temples as a true ruckus started outside.

“How many are there?” Zoro wondered, completely unruffled by the entire situation, and Nami frowned.

“One, I think?”

“Luffy can take care of one guy.” The key-holder declared, finishing off her noodles.

More shouting came through the door, and she paused in drinking the broth as Zoro finally roused, head cocked as if to catch the sound better, before standing and heading out the door.

“Hey! Is that you, Johnny?”

“Who’s saying my name all familiar-like?”

Hikari stopped in the doorway as the other swordsman, sunglasses somewhat askew on his face and dark hair a mess, scrambled up-

“Big Bro Zoro?!”

“It _is_ you, Johnny!” Their swordsman greeted, glancing around. “Where’s Yosaku? Isn’t he with you? Is something wrong?”

Gushing tears, Johnny rushed over to the port side of their ship, and Hikari leaned over the railing to find a small boat tethered there, a limp male body lying on the deck covered in bloody bandages.

“You should have said something sooner!” She snapped, Johnny scrambling to hide behind Zoro as the pinkette whipped out a silver key. “Open, Gate of the Tres Felis! PANTHERLILY!”

The cat-swordsman wasted no time in swinging over the edge to retrieve this poor soul, and the crew hastily made way for Hikari as she rushed to gather the First Aid Kit that Kaya had been generous enough to supply them.

Spreading a blanket across the deck, she glared at a justifiably-terrified Johnny as Pantherlily carefully laid Yosaku down, already checking vitals with calm efficiency.

“What are his symptoms?”

“He was full of life until a few days ago.” The swordsman stammered out, peeking around Zoro. “Now he keeps getting pale suddenly and then fainting! In the end, his teeth fell out, and his old wound opened up and started bleeding. I didn’t know what to do anymore, so we were on a rocky island letting him rest quietly. But then a cannonball came flying from this ship…”

Luffy and Usopp froze in place as Hikari’s gold-flecked eyes slowly turned towards them, a memory of playing with the cannon earlier that day coming to mind.

“Lily.”

The pair squeaked in protest at being hefted up by the backs of their shirts, but she decided to ignore that for now, checking Yosaku’s eyes and pulling out his tongue.

“Just like I thought. Oi! Dumb and Dumber! Get some limes from the storage!”

Luffy and Usopp blinked back at her, uncomprehending, and her following snap had them moving double-time.

“Did I stutter?!”

“No, ma’am!”

Nami covered her face with a sigh when the pair wedged themselves into the doorway in their haste, which Pantherlily helped with by punting them through.

“Idiots…”

“You’re lucky you didn’t end up as bad as him.” Hikari scolded Johnny as Luffy raced back out with a bag of limes to stuff into Yosaku’s mouth. “He’ll be fine in a few days, but scurvy isn’t something to take lightly! You need to be eating citrus and greens while on voyages, or you basically fall apart!”

“Really, big sis?!” Johnny sobbed, caught up in the ‘he’ll be fine’ rather than the lecture, and she side-stepped to avoid being drenched.

“Say it, don’t spray it.”

Yosaku suddenly jackknifing upright, and sending the lime rinds in his mouth flying, drew everyone’s attention as he jumped to his feet and started dancing in joy.

“There’s no way you can recover this quickly!” Nami nearly wailed, and the pair of swordsman stopped, putting on serious expressions.

“Sorry for not introducing ourselves first. My name is Johnny.”

“I’m Yosaku.”

“The pirate bounty hunter duo!” They finished together. “We used to be colleagues of Big Bro Zoro. Glad to make your acquaintance.”

“So Luffy wasn’t a one-off, huh?” Hikari drawled, Zoro shrugging in resigned amusement.

“I never thought I’d see you guys here.”

“But again, we’re surprised.” Johnny admitted, Yosaku nodding.

“We never imagined that _the_ Pirate Hunter Zoro became a pirate…”

“Yeah, I know.”

Pantherlily grabbed onto the recovering swordsman’s shirt before he suddenly face-planted, and Hikari released a gusty sigh at the fresh wave of panic across the deck.

“Knew it.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stepping out of the large kitchen pantry, where Yosaku was resting on a cot with Carla to watch over him, Hikari looked over the pensively-silent group arrayed around the table with a sigh.

“We need to be more careful.”

“Yeah.” Zoro agreed, leaning against the wall. “There’re pitfalls like this when you travel on the sea for a long time.”

“Which means on the ship, we have to consider the distribution of nutrients using limited kinds of food…” Usopp considered, thoughtful.

“When we think about it carefully, it’s a necessary ability.” Nami agreed, frowning at her ledger.

“A necessary ability, huh?” Luffy hummed around a hunk of bread. “Okay, then! A seafaring cook! Let’s go find a seafaring cook!”

“With your appetite, I’m surprised we didn’t find one sooner.” Hikari drawled, Zoro’s shoulders twitching in repressed laughter as the rubber boy grinned.

“If you’re looking for a cook like that, there’s a perfect place for that.” Johnny spoke up, smiling. “This place is close to the Grand Line...And you hear rumors there about the hawk-eyed man you’ve been looking for.”

Zoro tensed, knuckles going white on his white-handled katana, and a little knot of dread twisted in Hikari’s gut as she connected the dots.

 _The World’s Greatest Swordsman_...

 ** _Mihawk_**.

“We’ll head north-northeast! Our destination is the Sea Restaurant, Baratie!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Baratie was most certainly not a ship built for combat, brightly colored and in the awkward shape of a massive trout, but it was definitely hard to miss.

Hikari figured it was both helpful in bringing business but detrimental in drawing unwanted attention, which only proved that the chefs and crew aboard were capable fighters, a comforting thought.

Having a cook was necessary, but she would prefer one who could hold their own in a fight.

An uneven swell drew her attention around to the Going Merry’s starboard side, fighting down a groan as a larger Marine vessel drew level with them.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake…”

“Surely they’re not gonna shoot at us, are they?” Usopp fretted, staring at the cannons that were suddenly level with them.

“What an unpleasant bunch we’ve run into…” Zoro muttered, ignoring Johnny and Yosaku as they scurried to hide.

A man approached the railing above them, dressed in an off-white, pinstripe suit with sleek muddy-pink hair, a scar bisecting one cheek and iron knuckledusters on his dominant hand.

“I’ve never seen that pirate flag.” He voiced, arrogantly confident. “I’m Iron Fist Fullbody, Lieutenant at Navy Headquarters. Who’s your captain? Come out and state your name!”

Usopp squeaked when the key-holder’s hand clamped over his neck, yanking him back so their _actual_ captain could step forward.

“I’m Luffy! We just made our pirate flag the day before yesterday!”

“Oh, you’re just…”

Fullbody snickered at that, amused at having found such rookie pirates in the East Blue, and Hikari felt her hackles rise.

They may have yet to earn any bounties, but she was not about to stand there and have this...this _asshole_ think they were easy pickings.

“You two over there, I remember seeing you before.” Fullbody continued, outright dismissing them to focus on Johnny and Yosaku. “If I remember correctly, you’re a bounty hunter duo going after small fish. So you finally got caught by pirates. That’s a laugh.”

“WHAT?!”

“C’mon, let’s get going.” Fullbody’s lady friend coaxed, curly blonde hair all done up and wearing a red dress with heels that Hikari knew were completely unsuited for sea travel.

“You think small-time bounty hunters would go after these guys?!” Johnny roared, throwing out a stack of wanted posters that went ignored by the Navy Lieutenant as he turned away.

Hikari barely spared a glance for the many faces that littered their deck now, though Nami froze when one landed against her foot.

Then a cannon shifted, aiming right for the Going Merry’s foremost deck, and the half-formed observation was shunted aside.

“Fuck.”

“We’re in trouble.” Usopp gasped as he was released, wide-eyed. “They’re aiming at us!”

“Leave it to me!” Luffy assured, leaping onto the railing and stretching out his arms as the cannon fired. “Gum Gum Slingshot!”

Hikari dove, dragging Usopp and a distracted Nami down with her, as the force sent their captain stretching back across the bow, the mast and figurehead groaning under his hands at the strain-

A sharp CRACK heralded Luffy losing his grip on one side, and all of them watched as the cannonball went flying.

Right into the Baratie’s roof.

…

“...Damn it, Luffy.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hikari often felt that, rather than joining a pirate crew, she had been saddled with a gaggle of misbehaving toddlers.

This feeling was particularly strong now, dragging a guilty Luffy to the bedroom that had been damaged by his actions like one would escort a child to the principal’s office for a scolding.

“I’m very sorry!” The rubber boy apologized immediately, bowing before the battered head chef where he was sat on a rumpled bed, and Hikari rubbed at a tension headache when he spotted the prominent peg leg on the man. “AH! Your leg-”

BAM!

“Idiot.” Both chastised, a foot each on Luffy’s head.

“I apologize for my captain.” The pinkette began, formal and nonthreatening. “We meant no harm to you or your restaurant, and hope you bear us no ill will for the damage caused. We’ll cover the costs for repair, of course.”

“Kari, I don’t have money.” Luffy pointed out, earning a deadpan look from her and a bark of laughter from the chef.

“You talk very candidly.”

“How much is the estimated cost?” Hikari prompted, and the large blonde man eyed her a moment, braided mustache twitching.

“Five hundred thousand beli.”

Luffy’s jaw dropped at the amount, but Hikari did not so much as bat an eye, unclipping a gold key from her ring.

“Open, Gate of the Maiden! VIRGO!”

Already bowing, Virgo looked over the room with pale eyes before turning to her key-holder, hands folded demurely in the folds of her skirt and chains rattling gently.

“How may I be of service, hime?”

“Stop calling me that, for one.” The pinkette muttered before releasing a defeated sigh. “And I need my wallet.”

Head tilting, the maid-Spirit produced an innocuous black-leather bifold that Hikari accepted, parsing through the contents with business-like efficiency.

Luffy watched this curiously as the proper amount was removed and the wallet carefully rehidden, Virgo already fading as money changed hands.

Recounting, the chef nodded, tucking the bills away in the pocket of his jacket as Hikari smiled.

“Thank you for being so understanding. With that out of the way, I’m hoping our crew can enjoy a wonderful meal downstairs.”

As they were waved off, Luffy frowned thoughtfully while he was dragged out by an ankle, arms folded.

“...Hey, Kari.”

“Yeah?” She acknowledged, avoiding an uneven section of floor as she headed for the large spiral staircase that sat in the center of the restaurant, dividing the kitchen from the dining area.

“Where’d you get all that money?”

He felt the grip on his ankle flex suddenly, going tight before forcibly relaxing.

“Saving.” Hikari deadpanned, before her pace hiccuped at the CRUNCH of splintering wood downstairs. “What the-?”

Luffy yelped when he was suddenly whipped into her arm, wrapping rubbery limbs around as the pinkette practically jumped down the steps-

And came to a screeching halt, wide-eyed, as Lieutenant Fullbody was knocked to the floor, bloodied and drenched in fallen soup.

A tall, deceptively-slender blonde man in a sharp black suit lifted the Navy Lieutenant by his neck, nonchalant, and the cigarette in his mouth twitched aggressively despite his forced calm.

“Don’t waste food. At sea, provoking a cook is the same as committing suicide. Remember that.”

Luffy released her slowly, focused on the scene, and Hikari sighed, resigned.

 _Poor guy_ …

“Our customer!”

One of the other chefs rushed out from the kitchen, a larger man with a bald head and beefed-up arms, clearly agitated by what he was seeing.

“You again, Sanji! What’re you doing to our customer?! Of all people, he’s a Navy Lieutenant!”

“What is it, you damn cook?” The blonde, Sanji, replied with disinterest. “Don’t call my name as if I were your friend.”

“A damn cook has no right to call me a ‘damn cook’! Restaurants can’t exist without customers! Hurting our precious customer...What do you think you’re doing?!”

“What’s the big deal with customers?” Sanji brushed off, as if he could hold Fullbody aloft with one hand all day. “He treated the food carelessly. On top of that, he insulted cooks. So I taught him a lesson.”

The lieutenant’s body fell with a THUMP, and Hikari turned her head to see Zoro, Nami and Usopp by the main doors, watching with interest.

“What’s with this restaurant?” Fullbody gasped out, shaken. “No restaurant should treat its customers like this...I’ll shut it down...I’ll shut down this restaurant! I’ll shut it down! I’ll contact the government immediately and-”

“Then I’d better finish you off here.”

Fresh fear bloomed across the man’s face at Sanji’s stony retort, and Hikari almost rolled her eyes.

 _Idiot_.

Fortunately for Fullbody, the other chefs rushed to restrain the blonde before he could make good on this threat, and Hikari watched the racket below with some amusement.

 _Boys_ …

“Hey, Sanji!”

This call brought said chef up short, and Luffy yelped when he was nearly knocked over the railing by the head chef’s rapid descent.

“Are you going on a rampage in the restaurant again, you idiot?!”

“Shut up, you damn geezer!”

“What’d you say?! Who do you think you’re talking to?! Are you trying to put my restaurant out of business?! You brat!”

This declaration was punctuated by a punishing kick from his peg leg, before that ire was turned on a stunned Fullbody.

“You, too! Get out of here already!”

“You listen! The customer is king!” The heavy-armed chef argued, Sanji scoffing around his cigarette.

“Just those who eat your damn crappy dishes.”

“Patty! Sanji! If you wanna fight, do it in the kitchen!”

Footsteps clattering outside drew everyone’s attention to another set of doors as they burst open, revealing a bloodied and battered marine.

“Lieutenant! Lieutenant Fullbody! We’ve got trouble! Pirate Krieg’s underling escaped!”

“What?!”

“After seven of us finally captured him to get a lead on the Krieg pirates…”

“Can’t be!” Fullbody denied, scrambling up. “When we captured him three days ago, he was close to starving! And we haven’t fed him at all since!”

Unease rippled across the room as Hikari frowned, noting Luffy’s confusion as she leaned a hip against his shoulder.

“Don Krieg’s called the Ruler of East Blue. Apparently the strongest pirate in East Blue, with a fleet of fifty ships and five thousand men. These guys must have caught one of his crew and botched it.”

A sharp CRACK of gunfire, and the marine fell to reveal a disheveled figure in the doorway as a tense silence descended upon the Baratie.

The man was a mess, dirty and bleeding from a head wound, but he approached a nearby table with careful, measured steps before collapsing into a chair in a lazy sprawl.

“Anything’s fine.” He rasped, expression stoic, and Luffy felt his key-holder shift. “Bring me food. This is a restaurant, right?”

“Welcome, ya damn crook.” Patty greeted, saccharine sweet.

“I’ll say it only one more time, so listen good. Bring me food.”

“Um, sir, I’m terribly sorry, but do you have money for that?”

A click of the hammer, and his pistol was aimed between Patty’s eyes.

“Would a bullet do?”

“So you don’t have money, right?”

CRASH!

The chef’s meaty fists smashed his target through the chair in an explosion of splinters, nearly knocking the table over, and Hikari jolted.

“If you can’t pay for the food, you’re not a customer.”

Cheers rose from the restaurant patrons, but Zoro, even from across the room, noticed how tense Hikari was, watching the scene closely.

“Oh, your stomach is grumbling, pirate.”

“That was a fart, you stupid tanuki.” The pirate hissed out, unable to find the strength to rise from the wreckage of his chair. “Just bring me food.”

“If you’re not a customer, beat it already!” Patty barked, kicking at unprotected ribs, and Usopp instinctively scrambled behind Zoro at her sharp growl.

“OI!”

Patty almost jumped out of his skin, staring in disbelief as a pretty young woman stalked towards him, a petite, curvy little thing that somehow made him feel like a small rabbit before a very large boa constrictor.

“That’s _enough_.” Hikari bit out, standing almost protectively in front of the downed pirate. “You’ve disarmed him, there’s no reason to be an asshole and keep hitting him while he’s down.”

As Patty sputtered in his own defense, she turned to loop the fallen man’s arm around her shoulders.

“Come on.”

He barely had the energy to grunt as the pinkette helped lift him up onto unsteady feet, acting as a crutch towards the nearest doorway.

“I don’t need your help.” He eventually ground out, earning an unimpressed look.

“I could always carry you bridal style, you know.”

That shut him up, and Hikari settled him against the outside railing, straightening to lean against the opposite wall with crossed arms.

“Hey.”

Both glanced up to find Luffy on an upper level, chin propped on the railing.

“Are you hungry, by any chance?”

“Shut up. I’m not hungry!”

The soft clack of a tray on the floorboards drew their attention as Sanji took a seat a few feet away to enjoy his cigarette, leaving a bowl of rice and seafood next to the pirate.

“Eat it.”

“Shut up!” He managed around a salivating swallow, stubbornly looking away. “Beat it! Even when I’m down and out, I won’t take charity from others! Take this food away now!”

“Stop whining and eat it already.” Sanji retorted, utterly unruffled. “To me, anyone who’s hungry is a customer.”

That was a welcome surprise, given Patty’s reaction and those of the patrons, especially given this man was an underling of Don Krieg, and Hikari felt a little seed of respect for this strangely chivalrous chef.

“Sorry, but I’m not a customer.” The pirate insisted mulishly, and Sanji blew a ring of smoke, contemplative.

“How large and cruel the ocean is...How scary it is to lose food and water on the ocean...How hard it is...I can understand how a hungry person feels more than anyone. You can die for your pride if you want, but if you eat and survive, don’t you think there’s a future for you?”

Cracking under his kindness, the pirate began eating at a breakneck speed, unable to stop the constant flow of tears down his cheeks.

“Sorry…” He managed to mutter around each rapid mouthful. “Sorry...Thank you...I thought I’d die...I thought I was done...Delicious...Delicious...I’ve never eaten food so delicious…”

“It’s damn delicious, isn’t it?” Sanji agreed with a smile, clearly proud of his craft, and Luffy peered down at his crew-member with a grin.

“I found a good cook!”

“Yeah.” Hikari agreed, approving of his choice, and Sanji’s head whipped around like a bloodhound catching a scent. “Guess you did.”

Then there was suddenly a rose filling her vision, a blushing red and fully in bloom, and all the pinkette could do was blink, taken aback.

“Oh, dear ocean, thank you for this treasure that you’ve shared from your depths.” Sanji waxed poetically, very far from the cool-headed man she had seen so far, as he clasped her hands. “Ah, my love, I can’t bare this hardship of loving you from afar! It’s too difficult!”

...

BAM!

Luffy whistled at how high the blonde chef flew as Hikari turned back inside, grumbling.

“Just my fucking luck…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leaning back in his chair, Zoro nursed his seventh beer as he watched Hikari polish off her third steak and second plate of dumplings, fist coming down on Luffy’s stretched fingers when they strayed too close to her onigiri.

The Baratie was back in full swing, conversation and laughter filling the air, and even Nami was smiling as she sampled a bit from everyone’s plates, taking care to ask permission from a defensive Hikari before taking a bite of whatever she offered.

“So you asked that sous chef to join us?” Usopp clarified, popping a shrimp into his mouth, and Luffy nodded around a swallow.

“Yeah! He’s a good cook! Right, Kari?”

“I will pay you money to choose someone else.” She deadpanned, thoroughly unimpressed. “ _Anyone_ else.”

“Why?” Nami wondered, and Luffy perked right up.

“She made him go flying!”

“Really-?”

Nami squeaked when a rose was suddenly presented to her, and Zoro barely had to turn his head to see the annoyed expression on Hikari’s face.

“Oh, dear ocean! I thank you for today’s encounter!” Sanji swooned, unaware of the navigator’s confusion. “Oh, love, I can’t bear this hardship. Go ahead and laugh at me. I’m now prepared to be a lowly pirate or devil if I’m with you!”

“You get three guesses as to why.” The pinkette muttered, Zoro eyeing the scene in disbelief as Sanji suddenly teleported to her side, hearts in his eyes.

“And we meet again, fair maiden!” He crooned, enfolding her hand in both of his. “Your fury is as beautiful as a storm at sea! If only I could be lost in your beauty forever!”

“That’s...nice.” She replied blandly, pulling free and shifting away, and Zoro dropped an arm across the back of her chair protectively, scowling.

“How tragic it is! There’s too great an obstacle between us!” Sanji lamented, rising to fully articulate his inner drama, and Luffy giggled at the blatant roll of her dark eyes.

“That obstacle is me, right, Sanji?”

The head chef’s voice broke through the blonde’s woman-crazy haze, causing him to immediately deflate.

“Damn geezer.”

“This is a good opportunity.” The old owner continued gruffly. “Why don’t you become a pirate with them? You’re no longer needed at this restaurant!”

“Hey, you damn geezer! I’m the sous chef here! What do you mean you no longer need me?!”

“You often get into trouble with customers.” The older blonde listed. “You flare your nostrils the second you see a girl. You can’t even cook a decent meal. So you’re dead weight to this restaurant. That’s what I said.”

“Say that again.” Sanji dared, teeth gritting as snickers floated from the kitchen overhead.

“Also, the other cooks steer clear of you. So go be a pirate or whatever, and just leave this restaurant already!”

Looking between them, Hikari’s brow furrowed, sensing there was more here than a grumpy old man trying to rid himself of an employee, as Sanji stepped forward aggressively to grab his boss’ collar.

“Say what? If I keep quiet, you just shoot your mouth off, huh? You damn geezer! The rest I could overlook, but I’m not just gonna let you trash my cooking! No matter what you say, I’ll stay here as a cook! And that’s final!”

“Just what’s the meaning of you grabbing the owner by the collar?” The older man retorted, lifting his subordinate-

With a yelp, Hikari grabbed what plates of food she could with help from her crew before Sanji landed on their table, knocking it over.

“Quit screwing around.” The younger blonde grit out. “No matter how hard you try to kick me out, I’ll continue to work here as a cook until you die!”

“I won’t die.” The older rebuffed, already walking away. “I’ll live a hundred more years!”

“That geezer is never short of words…”

“Alright, you have permission!” Luffy cheered. “Now you can become a pirate!”

“NO WAY!”

Regaining his feet, Sanji quickly righted their table and draped the protective cloth so plates could be set back down, producing large wine glasses of fruit for Nami and Hikari before pouring wine.

“Now, sorry about that. I’d like to make up for it by serving you fruit macedonia, my princesses.”

“Wow, thank you!” Nami accepted cheerfully. “You’re so kind.”

“I’m good.” Hikari drawled, pushing her own towards Luffy so he could vacuum up the contents into his gullet.

“And no apology to us?!” Usopp fumed, rising to confront the uninterested chef. “I’m gonna sue you, you stupid love cook!”

“I’m serving you tea, aren’t I? Thank me for that, long-nose.”

“You wanna fight?! I won’t go easy on you! Beat him up, Zoro!”

“Do it yourself.” The swordsman denied, though he kept one hand on his katana.

“Stop!” Nami pleaded, laying on a thick sweetness now. “Please don’t fight because of me.”

“Yes, I’ll stop.” Sanji immediately agreed, and Usopp sputtered.

“Who said it was because of you?!”

“By the way, you know…” The navigator began coyly, drawing Sanji in like a moth to the flame. “The food you have here is delicious, but it seems a little expensive for me…”

The sous chef proceeded to melt like a cheap candle.

“Of course, it’ll be free.”

“Thank you!” Nami squealed, hugging him and nearly sending the blonde to cloud nine before he leveled a sobered look at the men of their crew.

“Yours are not free.”

“You’re too predictable.” Zoro muttered, taking a fortifying gulp of beer as Luffy cackled, and Hikari dropped her face into a palm with a groan.

“What did I ever do to deserve this?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A fog had rolled in overnight, shrouding the Baratie in a thick whiteness that even quieted the ocean, and Hikari felt a strange sense of foreboding the moment she saw it.

Luffy had already gone, back to pestering Sanji about joining them, and so it was Zoro that had yanked her onto his lap as he settled for a nap against the railing, ignoring the pinkette’s protests until she grumpily opened a book that Carla had given her on different species of edible fish that Happy clearly adored.

“When can we leave here?” Usopp whined, hanging off the railing to her left, and Hikari turned a page.

“When Luffy convinces that perverted cook to come with us.”

“What’s the problem?” Nami wondered, turning from her perusal of the trout-shaped ship they were docked to. “The food is free, and it’s comfortable here.”

“For _you_ it is.” Zoro retorted, not even opening his eyes to glare.

“Hey, Luffy!” Usopp called, spotting their captain rounding a corner of the Baratie’s outer deck. “What’s going on? Let’s leave here soon!”

“Wait a little longer. I’ll try talking to Sanji again.”

“I’m begging you!”

The gentle rhythm of swells against the Going Merry’s hull stuttered, grew stronger, and Hikari looked out over the water now, shoulders tense.

Zoro slit an eye open, following her gaze, and Luffy’s apologetic expression fell away as he stared into the gloom with them for a few long heartbeats...

A great shadow became visible through the white, growing with every moment, tattered sails rustling in a faint breeze and wide enough to swallow the Baratie whole, the figurehead of a roaring panther looming overhead as a grand warship came upon them.

“Son of a bitch.” Hikari breathed, taking in the skull-and-crossbones flanked by two hourglasses that identified this particular vessel. “It’s Don Krieg.”

Everyone was soon on their feet, Usopp’s knees knocking like castanets.

“Hey, this isn’t good! Shouldn’t we just get out of here?”

“Don’t be a baby.” The key-holder scolded, watching as Luffy darted back around the Baratie’s deck to meet the interlopers inside as this massive galleon docked on the restaurant’s other side.

A stronger breeze swept through, peeling back the layers of fog, and Zoro whistled at the deep lacerations that had almost torn this imposing ship apart.

“Doesn’t look like cannons did that.”

“Did they meet a Sea King made of swords?” Hikari voiced in disbelief, head turning at the rattling of Usopp’s teeth.

“Should we go in?”

“Probably.”

Poor Usopp could only whimper as her attention shifted to the shadowy figures that disembarked, disappearing slowly inside.

“Come on.”

Ignoring his whimpered pleas to stay with the Going Merry ‘to protect Nami’, Zoro grabbed their sharpshooter by the collar and dragged him along after Hikari as she vaulted the railing.

Circling around the back, in case they needed to surprise the enemy, Hikari pulled down an emergency ladder for the second floor and climbed, ears straining to hear anything over the slap of water against wood and the usual creaks of moored ships.

This meant that only Usopp noticed how Zoro was very pointedly _not_ staring at her ass as they followed, and that his attempt at poking fun and the demonic glare this attempt received also went completely unnoticed by her as well.

“Why did I ever agree to go with you guys?” The sniper whimpered to himself as he was hauled into the kitchen.

And there was the owner, calmly filling a sack with food, not even batting an eye at a floor-rattling BOOM from below or the rapid gunfire that soon followed.

Hikari was tense as a bowstring, looking between him and the spiral stairwell, brow furrowed in contemplation as Zoro rocked back on his heels, knowing that Luffy was fine.

Hefting the full bag up, the peg-legged head chef dipped his almost comically-large hat their way before heading down the staircase, as if oblivious to the shouting in the dining room.

Glancing back at Zoro, the trio followed quickly, and she took in Don Krieg for the first time.

The man was nearly two feet taller than their swordsman, heavily built and covered in shiny golden armor, with short-cropped pale purple hair and sideburns around a brutish face that was twisted in outrage as he shouted at the Baratie’s downed cooks.

“When I tell you to prepare food, all you have to do is obediently follow orders! Don’t defy me!”

THUMP!

The sack dwarfed Krieg’s kneeling crewmember, stunning everyone in attendance as the owner fearlessly stared down this intruder.

“There’s probably enough for a hundred meals in this. Bring it to your ship right away.”

Don Krieg seemed stunned at this as protests went up from the cooks.

“Zeff!”

“What’re you doing?”

“What’re you thinking?”

“If we revive even those on the ship, our restaurant will be completely taken over!”

Hikari’s eyes widened as the name registered, reevaluating the old chef as he faced his cooks.

“If they have the will to fight. Right, defeated warrior of the Grand Line?”

“Holy shit.” The pinkette breathed, grabbing onto Zoro’s wrist. “That’s Red Leg Zeff.”

“You know him, Kari?” Luffy voiced from below, perking up, and she nodded.

“He’s a famous pirate captain and chef I heard about as a kid. A master of kicks, with legs strong enough to crush bedrock and leave footprints in steel. He was called Red Leg because of the blood that covered him from his enemies.”

Usopp’s jaw kept dropping with each point, almost denting the railing at her last assertion.

“And he came back alive from the Grand Line.”

Luffy’s own jaw dropped open as Don Krieg regained his composure.

“But you no longer have that precious leg of yours. I’ve heard the rumor. How unlucky for you to have an accident at sea. To you, losing a leg must mean you’re unable to fight.”

Sanji ground his teeth around a cigarette, drawing Hikari’s attention to him for a moment before Zeff spoke.

“What about fighting? I can cook without a leg as long as I have these hands. What’re you trying to say? Just come right out and say it.”

“Red Leg Zeff...You’re the man who once entered the Grand Line and came back unhurt. There should be a logbook with the full year of your journey chronicled in it. Give that to me!”

“You’ve been to the Grand Line too, pops?” Luffy piped up, popping up near the bottom of the stairs, and Zeff remained stone-faced.

“Yeah. My logbook, huh? Indeed, I have it with me. But I can’t give it to you.”

Krieg’s smile fell immediately.

“The logbook is the pride of all the crewmen that I traveled with. It’s too important to give it to you.”

“Then I’ll just take it from you by force.” The opposing captain claimed, as if insulted anyone dare disobey him. “It’s true that I fell from the Grand Line. Even if that’s the case, I’m still Don Krieg, the strongest man.”

“If he’s the strongest man, then what are the people in the Grand Line?” Hikari drawled, Zoro snickering at her tone.

“It’s merely a dark sea route. To sail across it, I had enough power, and forces, as well as ambition!” Krieg claimed, working himself up. “The only thing that was regrettable was that I lacked information. I just didn’t know things. I’ll take your logbook, and I’ll form a large pirate fleet again and seize the One Piece! And then, I’ll stand on top in the Great Pirate Era!”

“Hold on a second!”

Stepping forward into the pin-drop silence, Luffy frowned.

“ _I’m_ the one who’s gonna be Pirate King!”

“Did you say something, kid?” Krieg mocked as warnings came up from the surrounding chefs. “I can let it pass-”

“You don’t have to.” The straw-hat boy cut in, grinning now. “I just stated a fact.”

“This isn’t a game.” The man menaced, and Hikari could not hold back a smile when Luffy did not so much as twitch.

“Of course not. I’ll conquer the Grand Line.”

“It’s no joke, you brat!” Krieg snapped, losing his temper. “It’s true that we didn’t have information, but a fleet with five thousand men was wiped out in just seven days! That’s a devilish sea! There’s no way someone like you can sail across it! Unfortunately, I don’t find those kinds of jokes funny. If you’re not going to let it drop, then how about I crush you here?”

“Are you trying to have all the fun without us?” Hikari warned, a gold key held carefully in one hand as a tonfa spun in the other as a katana clicked gently from its sheath to her right.

“Need a hand?”

“If you don’t need help, though, that’s fine, too…” Usopp stammered out, shaking too hard to pull of confidence.

“Don’t worry.” The rubber boy assured. “Just watch from there.”

“Yeah?” Usopp replied, unable to hide his relief as Hikari rolled her eyes. “Too bad, but if you say so, what can we do? But if push comes to shove, we’ll help you. So good luck!”

Zoro’s elbow cut off any further babbling, and the pinkette rubbed her temple.

“Can’t maintain an intimidating facade for the life of us…”

Krieg boomed into laughter, earning a glare from her now.

“Are they your crewmembers? That’s quite a small group you’ve got!”

“What’re you saying? I’ve got two more!” Luffy protested, Sanji whipping around in annoyance.

“Hey, you counted me, didn’t you?!”

“And all of Kari’s cool Spirits, too!” The rubber boy remembered, counting on his fingers. “So that’s twelve more!”

“A key-holder?” The man mused, blatantly eyeing the pinkette. “A rare breed…”

“I wasn’t aware my breasts were where my ability came from.” Hikari drawled, unashamed of the white corset top she was wearing, soft black ribbons lacing up the front into a bow under her bust, or the soft black leather thigh-high boots.

Smirking, Krieg grabbed up the bag of food, hoisting it over a shoulder as he looked towards Luffy.

“I’ll deal with you later. I’ll go feed my underlings. Those who don’t want to die can abandon the restaurant and escape. All I’m after are the logbook, this ship…”

Luffy’s amusement faded when he pointed unerringly at Hikari, Zoro drawing a katana.

“And her. But if you still wish to be uselessly killed...It’s a bother, but I’ll bury you into the sea. Know that.”

With those parting words, Don Krieg left, leaving his underling crumpled on the floor and an eerie silence.

“I’m gonna beat him up.” Luffy decided, deathly serious.

“Let me take a slice of him.” Zoro growled, making poor Usopp curl into the background as Hikari rolled her eyes.

“Calm down, the both of you. He can say whatever he wants, I’m not going with him.”

“Because I’m gonna beat him up!” Luffy asserted, fixing her with a stare that made her cheeks warm. “No one tries to take our Kari!”

“Especially some punk who doesn’t deserve you.” Zoro agreed firmly, and Hikari bit her lip to keep back a smile.

“Oi, I’m a big girl. I can send him packing myself.”

“Shut up, you idiots!”

Zeff’s roar cut through their byplay just as surely as it did his own chef’s protests.

“Have you felt what it’s like to be on the brink of starvation? Losing food and water on this grand ocean...Do you know how scary it is? Do you know how hard it is?”

Their eyes all dropped to the former pirate’s peg leg, but Hikari saw the disquiet on Sanji’s face instead.

“The difference between Sanji and you all is whether you know it or not. If you have time to grumble, leave the restaurant from the back door already!”

There was a moment of silence, but then Patty raised his voice.

“I’ll stay and fight! I couldn’t bear it if I was just beaten and didn’t fight back!”

“I’ll stay, too! This is the restaurant where I work!”

This became a rallying cry, and the once-starving pirate slammed his palms on the floor.

“What do you think you’re doing?! You saw how powerful Don is, right?!”

“Hey, Ghin.” Sanji spoke up, stepping forward with his usual calm. “Let me tell you something. Feeding someone who’s hungry is my morality. But…”

With a kick, he righted a nearby table neatly, hands in pockets.

“Those we’ll be dealing with are plunderers with full bellies. I won’t let you complain even when I beat up your fellow pirates. If someone’s going to take over this restaurant, even if it’s you, I’ll kill them without hesitation! Especially after threatening a lady! Got that?”

“You see?” Luffy cajoled, pleased. “He’s kinda cool, isn’t he?”

“Who cares about him?” Usopp yelped, flailing. “We’d better get out of here now!”

“Calm down.” Zoro chastised, Hikari leaning on the railing to give their sharpshooter a more reassuring look.

“You saw their ship. Krieg’s a mess right now, and his men are probably worse off. It’s not like we’re facing a fresh army.”

“Ghin!” Luffy remembered, almost pouting. “You said you didn’t know anything about the Grand Line. Even though you’ve been there?”

“It’s still true that I don’t know.” Ghin admitted, subdued and clearly traumatized by his memories. “What happened on the seventh day after we entered the Grand Line...I don’t know if it was a dream or reality...I still haven’t been able to come to terms with it...I still just can’t believe that the fifty ship fleet...was wiped out by only one man.”

Jaws dropped all across the room.

“It happened suddenly. As soon as this man appeared, he sank the ships one after another. If we hadn’t been lucky enough to have that storm then, our main ship would’ve been completely destroyed as well...I don’t know how many ships we have left...It was just so dreadful that I don’t want to accept it as reality...I don’t want to remember...that man’s sharp, hawk-like eyes whose glare alone gives one the chill of death.”

Zoro jolted at this, grip suddenly white-knuckled on the railing, as Hikari’s blood ran cold.

 _Hawk-Eye Mihawk_.

“That must be Hawk-Eye.” Zeff unknowingly confirmed. “That you felt his eyes were like a hawk’s isn’t proof in and of itself, but what this man did is enough proof that it’s him.”

“The World’s Greatest Swordsman.” Hikari summarized, Luffy and Usopp turning to Zoro in surprise as he grinned.

“Yeah. He’s the man I’m looking for. I went out to sea to meet him.”

“I see…” Sanji mused, nursing a fresh cigarette. “Isn’t it possible that that man had some deep grudge towards you guys?”

“We never did anything to him!” Ghin denied immediately, and Zeff shrugged.

“Like you guys disturbed his nap or something.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’ll be damned if he crushed our fleet for such a reason!”

“Don’t get so worked up. I’m just giving an example of what kind of place the Grand Line is.”

“What the heck kind of place is that?!” Usopp whined, their swordsman smirking.

“It probably means that anything can happen.”

“Or a place where people value their sleep.” Hikari drawled, causing the sharpshooter to sniffle.

“Hey, Luffy! Let’s not go to a place like that!”

“It sounds so exciting!” Luffy burst, stars in his eyes. “That’s how it should be!”

“What did you expect from him?” Hikari wondered as Usopp wilted. “Logic and common sense?”

“You need to get the concept of ‘danger’ into your thick skull!”

“But my goal is now completely narrowed down to the Grand Line.” Zoro noted, pleased. “I can see that man if I go there.”

“Are you guys stupid or what?” Sanji cut in, disapproving. “Guys like you die before anyone else. And you’re pulling a beautiful woman down with you.”

“Hey, only _I_ can call them stupid.” Hikari scolded, hands on hips. “And I need to go there, too. Most of the Zodiac keys are probably in the Grand Line, and I’m collecting every single one no matter what. I won’t give up on my dream just because it’s dangerous.”

“When I decided to become the strongest swordsman, I decided to devote my life to it.” Zoro agreed, casting her an impressed glance. “Since it was my decision, the only one who can call me stupid is me.”

“Me too! Me too!” Luffy added, waving eagerly, and Usopp sweated profusely as he straightened.

“Me too! That’s just natural as a man of the sea!”

A battle cry came through the open door, and everyone readied themselves to meet the onslaught-

Then, suddenly, there was screaming.

The Baratie rocked violently, and Zoro caught her by the arm before the initial jolt could knock Hikari down the stairs, her hands grabbing onto his haramaki for stability as Zeff barked orders.

“Raise the anchor! Or we’ll be swallowed along with the ship!”

“Yes, sir!”

“The Going Merry!” She realized, pulling back to vault the railing after Luffy. “Nami’s still out there!”

“Damn it!” Usopp cursed, nursing a banged head as he scrambled after his faster, stronger crewmates. “It might be too late!”

There was no missing the once intimidating galleon when they ran out, sinking in three neatly-sliced pieces, but a shout drew all four around immediately.

“Big bro! Big bro!”

“Yosaku! Johnny!” Luffy spotted, running to the starboard railing. “Are you alright?”

“Where’s the ship?” Hikari demanded when the ram’s figurehead failed to appear. “Where’s Nami?!”

“That...I’m sorry, big bro.” Yosaku sniffled pitifully. “She’s gone.”

“Big Sis Nami...She took all the treasure and ran off!”

…

“WHAT’D YOU SAY!?!”

“Okay, who left Tweedledee and Tweedledum in charge of our ship?!” Hikari growled, yanking both out of the water like disobedient pups. “How’d she even beat both of you?! Some amazing swordsmen _you_ are!”

“She didn’t fight us!” Johnny protested, yelping when they were dropped on the deck.

“Yeah, she tricked us!”

“She pretended to change her shirt, and when we turned our backs to give her privacy, she shoved us overboard!”

...

BAM!

The deck caved under their faces as Hikari seethed.

“ _Morons_!”

“Damnit!” Zoro cursed, almost starting to pace. “She’s making this crisis worse for us!”

“Kaya gave that ship to us!” Usopp howled, furious at this betrayal, as Luffy scanned the horizon.

“Wait! I can still see it! It’s the Going Merry! Where’s your ship?”

“We still have it here…” Yosaku answered once free of his crater.

“Kari! Zoro! Usopp! Leave right away! Take that ship and follow Nami!”

“Forget about it.” Zoro brushed off, arm’s crossing. “Just give that ship to her. No need to go after that woman.”

“I won’t accept anyone but her as our navigator!” Luffy swore, serious, and the swordsman eventually conceded with a sigh.

“Alright, alright...What a high-maintenance captain…”

“What are you two waiting for, a formal invitation?!” Hikari snarled, frightening Johnny and Yosaku to their feet. “Go get your ship!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

The bounty hunters practically ran on water to get their vessel and bring it back, bringing out a makeshift gangplank that Usopp began crawling across to escape Hikari’s wrath.

“Luffy, what about you?” Zoro wondered, and Luffy smiled.

“I can’t go since Sanji hasn’t said yes yet.”

“Be careful.” Hikari warned, fussing over their captain.

“It’s the man who destroyed our fleet!”

The shout went up from the surviving Krieg pirates, and all eyes turned to the small boat now floating amid the wreckage.

The base was crafted to look eerily like a coffin, a single mast in the center behind a throne-like chair, and four candles burning at each corner with a disconcerting green flame.

And seated in that throne was Hawk-Eye Mihawk.

“That man.” Zoro breathed, and Hikari felt her stomach drop.

Taking a step, the swordsman paused to catch her eye, and the key-holder took a steadying breath before fixing him with a firm glare.

“Kick his ass.”

The swordsman’s smirk would have seemed demonic to most, but Hikari and Luffy knew it was a promise.

“Hey, Kari…” Usopp wondered as their crewmate made his way closer to challenge Mihawk. “Aren’t you worried about Zoro?”

“Of course I am!” She bit out, causing all three to cower. “But I can’t stop him.”

 _No matter how much I wish I could_...

Fingers slipped between hers, and Hikari glanced over to find Luffy there, sure and solid.

When Mihawk moved to join Zoro on a larger piece of deck, every muscle in her body jolted, and Luffy squeezed.

Zoro armed himself with all three katana, and her eyes drifted to the massive black-bladed sword on Mihawk’s back…

Only for him to draw a small knife from the cross on his neck, and that was somehow worse.

Zoro charged, swords coming across in an Oni Giri-

And was brought to a dead halt.

With just the point of his little knife, Mihawk had trapped all three of his opponent’s katana in a lock, and Zoro heaved to break free, already swinging.

Each blow was easily blocked or diverted, Hawk-Eye barely even shifting his weight to do so, before using the younger swordsman’s momentum to toss Zoro back head-over-heels.

“Come on…” Hikari whispered, knuckles gone white, and only Luffy’s grip kept her rooted in place. “Come on, get up…”

Lurching to his feet, Zoro continued his futile assault, Mihawk almost dancing away from his blows now before landing a sharp, blunt strike to the back of his neck that forced the younger to stagger, almost collapsing with fatigue.

“Shit.” She cursed, barely aware of Johnny and Yosaku’s shouts as she leaned over the railing. “Zoro! Get up, damn it!”

A heartbeat, and Zoro forced himself back up, taking a new stance-

Hikari cried out when that little knife pierced his chest on the left-hand side, near his _heart_ , and Luffy coiled next to her like a tightly-wound spring.

Withdrawing, Mihawk sheathed his knife and spoke clearly enough for them to hear across the water.

“Kid. State your name.”

“Roronoa Zoro.”

“I’ll remember it.” Hawk-Eye decided, unsheathing his true sword. “I haven’t seen anyone like you in a while, strong one. Thus, as a swordsman’s courtesy, I’ll sink you using the world’s strongest black blade.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Fuck.” Hikari whispered, heart dropping like a stone.

“Three Swords Style Secret Technique: Three Thousand Worlds!”

A split second.

That was all it took, and Zoro’s two black-hilted katana shattered like glass as blood burst from his chest.

Hikari and Luffy watched, unable to blink or breathe or feel, as he sheathed the white katana and stood to face Mihawk unarmed.

“Scars on the back are a swordsman’s shame.”

“Admirable.”

The black sword came down-

“ZORO!!!”

“OPEN, GATE OF THE WATER BEARER! _AQUARIUS_!”

The ocean roiled, exploding outward like a geyser, but Mihawk did not so much as bat an eye when faced with the mermaid-Spirit’s glare, a bloodied Zoro safely cradled against her chest as a rubbery snap filled the air.

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!!!”

Hikari and Luffy’s joined roar rang off the wreckage as they flew across the gap, wood exploding where her tonfa and his fists connected rather than bone.

A snarl rippled from her chest in frustration, and the nearest pirates almost toppled over in paralyzed fear as Luffy yanked himself free, facing a mildly impressed Mihawk with fists raised.

“Are you that young swordsman’s comrades? You also impressed me for watching it to the very end. Don’t worry, I didn’t kill that man.”

Hikari jolted, eyes shimmering gold as she whipped around to see Zoro take in a bloody breath, rushing to his side while Luffy stood firmly between them and Mihawk.

“Idiot swordsman…” Aquarius breathed, one hand dripping red as the pinkette tried to staunch the flow with a choked gasp.

“It’s still too early for you to die.” Hawk-Eye declared, with all the formality of a great master. “My name is Dracule Mihawk. Learn about yourself. Learn about the world. And become strong. No matter how many years it takes, I will hold this seat of the strongest and wait for you. Surpass this sword. Try to surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!”

“Damn it…” Hikari choked out, tears wavering in her eyes as Aquarius reclined on her tail to hold the injured swordsman in a more comfortable position. “Damn it…”

Silver eyes flickered open, hazy with pain, and caught on the wavering rainbows that hung precariously from her lashes.

A shining blade pointed towards the sky, and she froze in place, golden-black locked on silver, as Luffy turned to them.

“Did I worry you?” Zoro forced out, voice gone gravelly and shaky. “You need no less than the World’s Greatest Swordsman, right? I...I will not be defeated ever again! Until the day I defeat him and become a master swordsman...I’ll never be defeated!”

A single tear fell, washing away just a touch of the blood spattered on his face, and Hikari gave a shaky smile.

“You’d better not.”

“Got any problems with that, Pirate King?”

“Nope!” Luffy burst with relief, head jerking around as Mihawk began walking back to his boat.

“You’re a good team. I want to see you guys again.”

A heavy THUMP reminded all of them what had started this entire fiasco as Don Krieg stepped onto the battlefield.

“Hey, Hawk-Eye! Didn’t you come to take my life, the life of the East Blue’s ruler, Don Krieg?”

“I was going to, but I had enough fun.” The swordsman replied, not even turning to acknowledge him. “So I’m going home to get some rest.”

“You may have had enough, but I’m tired of getting beaten. Die before you leave!”

All the hidden latches on Krieg’s armor swung open, and Aquarius pulled her two charges away in a rush of water before that entire section of already-downed ship exploded.

“Big Sis!” Johnny and Yosaku blubbered, helping lift Zoro from the mermaid-Spirit’s arms onto the deck of their boat as Luffy landed on the Baratie.

“Kari! Usopp! Go! I’ll leave Nami to you!”

Accepting the First Aid kit that was provided, Hikari dropped next to Zoro and started trying to clean up the blood with Aquarius’ help as Usopp waved.

“Got it! Kari and Zoro and I will bring Nami back for sure! Make sure you get that cook to join us! When all six of us are reunited, let’s go to the Grand Line!”

“Yeah! Let’s do that!” Luffy agreed, turning that blinding smile onto the pinkette. “So take care of them and stay alive! Okay, Kari?”

Hands dripping pink from diluted blood, she swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat and nodded.

“You too, captain.”

With a wave of the hand, Aquarius propelled their little vessel away from the coming battle and after the dot that was the Going Merry on the horizon, and the pinkette shook away that knot of emotion away to get down to business.

“Does this look like a vacation? Usopp, keep an eye on the Going Merry! Johnny, keep us on course! Yosaku, get me a lighter to sterilize this needle!”

“G-Got it!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Right away!”

With his katana set safely aside, Zoro smirked hazily as his comrades scrambled about like startled chickens while Aquarius carefully held his split chest together for Hikari to work.

“Appreciating those sewing skill?”

The key-holder released a short, watery laugh, threading the needle with steadying hands.

“I just wish you didn’t need them so often. Now hold still.”


	6. Arlong Arc

To say that Hikari had her work cut out for her would be an understatement.

Usopp was in an endless cycle of frantic panic, working himself up to exhaustion before regaining the energy to start all over again, which only worsened Johnny’s own outbursts, tears pouring behind his sunglasses as he ranted about their situation to the heavens.

Zoro was no help at all, stubborn as he was that being nearly sliced in half was not a serious injury, and so that left Hikari as the only sane person left to keep everything together.

Studying in the island before them, eyeing the monstrous gate that sat right on the shoreline to her left-hand side, the key-holder took in a steadying breath at all the nervous energy building behind her.

“We’re going to check the docks and ports for the Merry before approaching.” She decided, glaring at the grumble Zoro made at this. “Usopp, that’s your job. I don’t want to get any closer than we have to.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

As their sniper scrambled up the mast to scan the island, Hikari gestured to the rigging.

“Johnny, you’re in charge of keeping us on a steady course around.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Training’s paying off.” Zoro noted, amused, and she rolled her eyes.

“Smartass. Just sit still and don’t stress those stitches. If I have to redo them, _neither_ of us is gonna be happy.”

“Bossy…”

“Kari!” Usopp shouted, pointing. “There’s the Going Merry!”

Following his gesture, she rifled around for the map that had been left aboard, finding their position and direction with some deliberation.

“Hm...Cocoyashi Village is around here, a bit further inland, and there’s a port town a bit closer, Gosa.”

_But why isn’t the Merry docked there?_

“Usopp, keep an eye out for fishmen. Johnny, bring us in further east, near those rocks. _Slowly_.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Better than hime, at least…” She acknowledged, glaring at Zoro’s low snicker. “Hush, you. Commentary isn’t for idiots who nearly get cut in half.”

Tensions mounted as they neared, Usopp and Johnny fidgeting while glancing towards her for reassurance, and Hikari breathed out the nerves fluttering in her stomach.

Luffy had entrusted her with the safety of their crew, with getting Nami back, and she was not about to fail.

Dropping anchor behind a rocky outcropping, Hikari made sure they were safely camouflaged from the shore as Johnny and Usopp moored them, the latter shaking like a leaf already.

“No one saw us approach, right?”

“Of course not!” The sharpshooter replied, puffing up. “I’m the great Captain Usopp! I can spot a tuna from leagues away!”

“Good.” She drawled, helping Zoro gain his feet without busting a stitch. “Now come on.”

A few minutes later, the swordsman snickered to himself as a whimpering Usopp and tearful Johnny were dragged onto shore by an unamused Hikari, rounding a protective bend of stone-

“Fuck.”

The city of Gosa was a true mess, buildings flipped on their roofs and cobblestone streets messily torn open, and the cowardly pair scrambled to their feet with wide eyes.

“What happened to this town?!”

“I heard Arlong ravaged it a few weeks back, but…”

“That’s pretty ravaged.” Hikari admitted, clicking a tonfa out to full length as Zoro tightened his grip on his remaining katana.

“I hear fishmen generally have ten times the strength of humans.” Johnny voiced, sweating profusely. “In short, could this be how strong people from the Grand Line are?”

“Amazing deduction.” The key-holder deadpanned, free hand tapping at her keys. “Almost Sherlockian.”

Zoro scanned the streets, scowling, and both looked towards a nearby alleyway almost as one.

“Hi there.” Hikari greeted with guarded politeness, Usopp and Johnny jumping like startled deer when they spotted a blue-haired woman there, leaning nonchalantly against the wall.

She was perhaps a bit older than Zoro, with dark eyes and tattoos twisting over sun-darkened skin, her entire demeanor carefully controlled.

“What are you doing here, outsiders?”

“We’re looking for someone.” The pinkette answered, placing a hand over Zoro’s before he could draw. “Have you seen a red-haired girl come through here? Brownish eyes, about this tall? Probably with a sack of money? Perhaps cackling?”

“And why are you looking for her?”

The answer came without any thought.

“She’s our nakama.”

This declaration jolted the older woman, mask cracking, and she nodded after a few moments.

“Follow me, before one of the fishmen spots you.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nojiko’s home, at the outskirts of Cocoyashi, was a single-room affair surrounded by groves of tangerine trees, little better than a shack and nowhere near large enough to comfortably house more than one person for any length of time.

Settling against a wall, Zoro immediately fell asleep as Hikari took a seat at the table nearest him, angling to see most of the windows and doors as the others took spots around her.

“If you’re looking for Nami, she’s probably in Arlong Park.” Nojiko stated, placing mugs of coffee before her guests. “She’s a leader of the Arlong Pirates, after all.”

Hikari barely dodged the resulting spit-takes, brows furrowing in confusion.

“Nami? The girl who kept insisting she hates pirates and would never be one? _That_ Nami?”

“Yup.” Nojiko confirmed nonchalantly, circling the room. “She’s infamous in this area. Most people who see her call her a witch. Even more surprising, that witch grew up in this very house!”

Fingers lingered over the frame of an old photograph, wistful.

“Me and Nami are adopted sisters.”

“So this is Nami’s house?” Usopp clarified, taking in their surroundings with fresh eyes.

“Me and Nami are both orphans. We were brought up in this house. Our foster parent is dead too, but the three of us used to live happily here in Cocoyashi Village.”

Rolling this information around in her mind, Hikari sat back with a frown as Usopp lamented this betrayal after all they had been through together.

 _It doesn’t make sense_ , she thought slowly, gaze drifting across the cracks that marked the ceiling. _After everything...Fishmen are highly adverse to humans. When Arlong came here, Nami couldn’t have been older than ten…_

“We came here to bring her back with us, but I guess there’s no need-”

Johnny yelped when the point of a tonfa slammed into the table inches from his hand, frozen like a mouse in the face of a cat at the molten eyes that flashed across the meager gap between them.

“Since when were you in charge, glasses?”

“Never!” He squeaked out in a tiny voice as Zoro slit an eye open to study the key-holder.

“Because we’re not done here.” She decided, pulling the sharp point free and quieting Usopp’s grumbling with a firm look. “Nojiko, do you mind showing us the way to Cocoyashi?”

The older woman watched her just as closely, assessing, before seeming to slump just the tiniest bit.

“Alright. But don’t blame me for what you find there.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So _you’re_ the bastard who was in possession of weapons…”

Arlong was massive even when compared to his fellow fishmen, nearly nine-feet-tall and broad-chested, with long, wild dark hair over a shark’s fin and a saw-like nose somehow even longer than Usopp’s, skin a pale blue inked with bright red tattoos.

Towering over his seated target, a mustached man covered in scars like a patchwork doll with a pinwheel spinning lazily in his hat, Hikari had the deep-seated urge to punch all his ridiculously-sharp teeth in.

“Yes, that’s right.” The man answered calmly. “Because I’ve always enjoyed looking at weapons. Are collections not allowed under your rule, either?”

“No, I can’t have that.” Arlong replied, far too jovial to be sincere. “Weapons breed nothing but evil thoughts and violence. They’re the chief things that undermine peace.”

“He’s huge!” Usopp hissed, peering down the alley. “ _That’s_ Arlong? He’s not human!”

“Because he’s not.” Hikari reminded him with a tight jaw, Zoro’s hand pressing to her shoulder-blades.

“I control twenty towns and villages. As their manager, I can’t afford to have rebellions.” Arlong explained, as if to a small child, and the swordsman frowned at the tension under his palm. “I destroyed the great port town of Gosa as an example to the other communities. The blunder of being unable to pay tribute money is an act of rebellion against us!”

“Tribute money?” The pinkette repeated, Johnny shrinking away as Nojiko nodded.

“Exactly as it sounds. It’s money that we offer to them. We buy our lives every month with money, adults _and_ kids. If anyone in a village can’t pay the tribute money, if there’s even just one person...the village gets wiped out, just like Gosa.”

“Then that huge town was destroyed just because of one person?” Usopp realized, horrified.

“That’s how Arlong governs. They’re species-obsessed and don’t give a damn about killing people.”

“Listen. You lowly humans simply need to keep paying up without thinking.” Arlong ordered, sharp even under his facade of affability. “I need enormous funds. Your tribute money will eventually become the cornerstone of the Arlong Empire, which will rule the East Blue!”

Those damning words rang in Hikari’s ears, her mind conjuring up images of all the people they had helped, of Koby and Rika and Mayor Boodle and Chouchou and Kaya and the Usopp Pirates and the Baratie, images of faces she tried so hard to remember and knew were fading, and felt _rage_.

The happiness all of them had fought for, had cried and _bled_ for, would be smothered under the reign of an empire built on oppression, just as so much had already been shattered by the World Government...

And she would not stand for it.

So when Arlong pulled his arm back, as if for a blow, Hikari reacted.

There was a startled yelp, and Johnny’s jaw dropped like an anchor as a fishman soared over his fellow crew-members' heads to smack against Arlong’s back hard enough for the shark-man to nearly face-plant before catching himself.

“ _Pathetic_.”

The fishmen pirates blinked down at the petite, pink-haired woman glaring back at them, truly stumped.

Had this human, who was smaller even than most of her own kind, just _thrown_ a fishman?

“How about you fight someone who can hit back?”

Eyes widened when Hikari drew her tonfa back and _slammed_ the nearest fishman into the air, and the only thing stopping Zoro from unsheathing his sword was Nojiko, who slapped a hand against his bandaged chest so Johnny could tackle him in a moment of distraction.

“Exploding Star!”

The stunned fishmen were jolted by this secondary assault, and Hikari valiantly fought the urge to face-palm at seeing Usopp on a nearby rooftop rather than safely hidden in the alleyway, shaking like a leaf.

“My name is Captain Usopp, Brave Warrior of the Sea!”

“Idiot.” She muttered, pulling out a silver key amid startled shouts. “Open, Gate of the Tres Felis! HAPPY!”

Bursting from his Gate in a rush of starlight, the winged cat swooped up to grab a startled Usopp by the front of his overalls and drag him into the air as Arlong straightened to his full height, sharp teeth revealed in a wide grin.

“Bring her here.”

With a curse, Hikari extended her second tonfa to knock aside a webbed hand, the first coming around to knock the offending fishman’s teeth loose as she used the momentum to escape the grasp of another.

The swordsman’s resultant cursing was badly muffled by Johnny’s hand as he and Nojiko struggled to keep the injured man pinned, almost seeing red when a third tried to come up from behind and met her boot instead.

Hikari was strong, he had no doubt in that, but she was sorely outnumbered and without any backup, not with Happy soaring away with Usopp, and he snarled as a hand wrenched her arm around before the fishman was flipped hard onto the cobblestones.

Suppressing a flinch when the abused joint flared with pain, the pinkette blocked a palm-strike from a gray-skinned fishman, using his extended, finned arm as a fulcrum to swing both feet at his head.

She was completely surrounded, only hard-won reflexes saving her from being snatched up from behind or blindsided at any moment-

 _Shit_ , Hikari seethed, eyes flashing gold as she crushed an advancing fishman’s foot under her heel, wrenching her arm free to splinter ribs.

There was a shift in the crowd to her left, and the key-holder swore as she saw them begin to part in Arlong’s wake.

 ** _Shit_**.

These were underlings, but that was their captain, and if she was already starting to struggle...

Eyes widened when the pinkette unclipped a gold key from her ring, disbelieving.

No one could summon two Spirits at once.

 _About time she proved that claim wrong_.

“Open, Gate of the Lion! LEO!”

It felt like being punched in the ribs, like her blood was boiling, like her lungs were suddenly empty of air and her throat too tight to breathe, like this great beast inside her was writhing in pain and smashing against the inside of her ribs-

“Kari!”

That muffled cry snapped her back into the present, lungs spasming around a deep inhale and vision swimming back into focus as Leo’s light-encrusted fist smashed into a fishman’s face.

 _No time for pain_ , she reminded herself, arm swinging up to crack a tonfa into the underside of a charging fishman’s chin.

Because at her back was a wounded Zoro, who she could trust at any other time to protect himself and the crew, but not _now_ , not so soon after that devastating slice from Mihawk, and that left just her to fight.

So there was no room for pain or exhaustion, no room for anything but the battle, because her captain had entrusted her to keep everyone safe.

A sharp cry, and Hikari turned from knocking a fishman into a building to see Leo crack the cobblestones at her feet, blood dusting the cobblestones.

“Leo-!”

A massive hand clamped over the key-holder’s throat, wide enough to span her shoulders and force her jaw closed, lifting Hikari off her feet and cutting off air at the same time.

Zoro _snarled_ , nearly bucking Johnny and Nojiko off as she instinctively thrashed, tonfa clattering to the ground and Leo gasping in pain as a foot came down hard on his chest.

“I never thought I’d meet a key-holder in a place like this.” Arlong mused, not seeming to feel her frenzied kicks or her grip on his wrist even before they began to lose strength. “And one with gold keys...How could I possibly let such an opportunity pass me by?”

The shark-man’s smile split into a grin at the fierce glare he received for this, Hikari hiccupping on a curse as Leo wheezed around the added weight on his lungs.

“Oh, and you’ve got some spunk, too. It’ll be fun breaking you of it.”

Zoro could only watch, a great big pit opening in his stomach, as Hikari’s struggles slowed, Leo disappearing back through his Gate with a strangled curse as she fell limp, suddenly very small and vulnerable in Arlong’s grip.

“We’ll be back another day.” He decided, throwing the pinkette over a shoulder as his crew slowly gathered themselves. “Looks like you’re spared for now.”

There was something new in Nojiko’s eyes once Zoro was released from their grasp, long after the Fishmen Pirates had gone, something resigned and heartbroken and enduring that only came from years of watching a person you love kill themselves.

The swordsman swore that he would not know what that felt like.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Swimming back to consciousness, feeling heavy as an anchor and pulsing with pain to the core of every bone, Hikari decided that she was a dumbass.

While her goal would eventually mean being able to summon all twelve Zodiac Spirits at once, pushing the limits of a single summon, even between a silver and gold key, was not the wisest decision she had ever made.

Senses slowly fading in through the haze, her gaze drifted down lazily to the delicate silvery chains connecting the shackles on her wrists before lifting to take in the room she was placed in.

While a modest size, the furnishings were clearly well-made, a thick cream carpet softening the floor and contrasting with the dark purple walls and the dark-wood furniture.

She had been laid out on a black-leather couch against one such wall, devoid of pillows, and across from her was a grand, simply-carved wardrobe, almost overflowing with silks and lace and soft cotton, next to a wide canopied bed, a filmy curtain doing nothing to hide the fine sheets that were revealed by a fold in the downy comforter, all done in soft shades of creams and whites while the mountain of pillows were done in purples and blacks and greys.

A wide window let in sunlight, and Hikari snorted as she took in the bars that spanned its length.

 _Just like any other gilded cage_.

The click of a lock barely preceded the only door opening, and she forced herself upright to face a stern-faced gray fishman, the same one that had nearly knocked her head off, with a glare.

“You’re awake.”

“Where are my keys?” Hikari shot back, voice hoarse from mistreatment, not bothering to dignify such an obvious observation with a response.

“Not here.” He answered simply, earning a scowl. “Arlong-san wants to see you.”

“Sorry, my schedule’s kinda full at the moment.” She snarked, making no move to rise. “I can probably squeeze him in sometime next week, I just need to check my calendar.”

Gaze narrowing, he moved, fast as a striking snake, and Hikari hissed like an enraged cat as the shackles on her wrists were pulled sharply by the chain now in his grip, forcing both arms up and nearly lifting her off the couch.

“The only reason you’re alive, _human_ , is because our captain believes he has a use for you.” The fishman warned, her spine involuntarily bending backwards thanks to the chain. “So mind your tongue.”

Jaw clenching against the discomfort, the pinkette glared right back, eyes flashing gold.

“ _Make me_.”

He reared back, fist clenched-

“Kurobi?”

The fishman froze at the call of his name, slowly reining in his temper, and Hikari yelped as she was yanked onto her feet abruptly, boot-heels scrambling on the thick carpet.

“Come.”

Forced to follow thanks to the shackles biting into her wrists, the key-holder cursed rather colorfully as he dragged her out into a hallway, a few of his crewmembers watching almost warily.

“Ah, there’s our guest!”

Almost stumbling out into open air, she squinted for a moment against the sudden onrush of sunlight before taking in the deep ocean-fed pools, the large concrete barrier walls, and then Arlong on his damn _throne_ , affable as before.

“Are your accommodations to your liking?”

“Oh, they’re great.” The pinkette drawled, chain taut as she fought Kurobi’s steady approach. “The bars are a nice touch. Feels very homey.”

The fishman captain laughed, echoed by a few of his cronies, while she was effectively thrown before him, barely keeping her feet.

“I’m glad, little bird, since you’ll be staying with us for a long time.” He replied, smile sharp. “After all, it’s not every day a key-holder walks onto my island. This is a golden opportunity!”

“A golden opportunity, huh?” She echoed back, unimpressed. “For what?”

“For conquest.” The shark-man answered easily, as if such a thing were the same as going for groceries. “There’s a reason that the greatest pirates in history have had a key-holder among their lieutenants, and none of them had _four_ golden keys.”

Hikari growled as she was dragged closer by the chain now in his grip, jamming a foot against the raised dais to stop, and Arlong quirked a brow, smile firmly in place.

“And you’re not a normal human, are you?”

“What, can’t accept that a human could fight back?” The pinkette growled, biting back a yelp when he suddenly grabbed her shoulder and yanked, her knees smacking into the concrete base as Arlong held her between his spread legs with bruising force.

“We fishmen are superior to humans in every way. That you could stand against us at all means you’re not human.”

“Sorry to disappoint.” She replied lowly, dark eyes shimmering gold.

A door to her right opened before Arlong could reply, and the pinkette cursed softly as one of his lieutenants walked through, dragging Usopp by the nose.

_Damn it, didn’t they get far enough?_

“I caught him, Arlong-san.”

“Took you long enough, Choo.”

“K-Kari!” The sharpshooter yelped as he was tossed face-first at Arlong’s feet, and she growled at being manhandled around to face him, the chain holding both hands tight against her belly and unable to move.

“You know this scum, little bird?”

“Do I have to know someone to save them?” Hikari deflected, expression stony. “Besides, he’s a coward. No point in hurting him.”

“He defied Arlong-san.” Kurobi stated, and she slid him a deadpan stare.

“So did I, and I’m alive.”

“He’s just a human.”

Usopp began to babble when a knife was stabbed into the concrete just below his nose, and her fingers flexed in desire to grab her tonfa.

“Y-Yeah, huh? So you should let me go! I was just saying hello earlier! That’s how we do it in my village!”

“Get it through your head that fishmen are the lord of all things.” Arlong cut in, tilting the blade with his foot and causing the sniper to go very still when it came closer to his nose. “Humans defying fishmen is basically defying the laws of nature!”

“I’m sick of those ridiculous opinions of yours, Arlong.”

Even knowing that Nami was a lieutenant of the Arlong Pirates did not completely mute Hikari’s surprise at the sight of her, expression serious and dark blue tattoo on display, inked starkly on the skin of her upper arm.

“Don’t look so stern, Nami. You may be human, but you’re an exception. You’re a skilled surveyor and prized member of the Arlong Pirates!” The fishman captain replied jovially. “You make truly accurate sea charts for us!”

“I have far more smarts than you guys. It’s only natural.”

“Nami?” Usopp squeaked, curling into himself, and Hikari saw the flicker in the other woman’s eyes between them.

“Oh? He’s an acquaintance of yours?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The redhead brushed off coldly, walking forward confidently. “He was just my prey. I swiped a whole load of treasure from this guy this time around. To think he’d follow me here, without any idea he’d been tricked...Talk about unbelievably stupid.”

“Or perhaps that was the plan all along.” Kurobi challenged, arms folded solidly over his chest. “After all, Arlong-san, a key-holder with four Zodiac keys would be a great threat.”

“Now that you mention it, Kurobi-san, Nami has been acting strangely lately…”

A rush of similar murmurs swept through the crew, and Hikari saw the flash of fear crack through Nami’s mask and _knew_.

“Betrayal is her specialty.”

“That’s enough of that!” The navigator snapped. “Quit discussing stuff based on a bunch of conjecture! _Me_ , a traitor? I swore I was a member of this group eight years ago, with this tattoo!”

“Sorry, sorry.” Arlong placated, waving the entire debacle off. “It’s only natural for you to be upset, but rest easy. I don’t suspect you one bit. You and me’ve known each other for eight years now! We were just a little on-edge, that’s all. The ones we _do_ need to get rid of are this human and his group.”

Usopp immediately began to blubber at this, and Hikari clenched her jaw to keep a flood of expletives at bay, gaze fixed on Nami’s face and noting every subtle shift in expression.

“H-Hey, Nami! Say something! Nami!”

“What’s wrong, Nami?” Kurobi prodded as he retrieved his knife. “You seem a little pale.”

“How long are you going to suspect me?” The navigator retorted, clearly growing frustrated.

“You’re too smart, you see.”

“I’ll have the amount Arlong and I agreed to soon! Why would I betray you now?”

Hikari’s gaze flickered pure gold for a moment, understanding morphing into a contained, icy fury.

 _That’s it_.

“I know.” Kurobi acknowledged, testing the blade’s sharp edge with his thumb. “You agreed eight years ago to buy Cocoyashi Village from Arlong-san for one hundred million beli. But I just can’t make sense of it. You betrayed the villagers and your parent, and only trust money...So why do you care so much about Cocoyashi Village? Why such a puny little village?”

Looking at the redhead’s face, Hikari knew the answer.

“Actually, I found _this_ in your room.”

A battered, hand-drawn map was revealed, fishmen craning their necks to see.

“Is this a treasure map?”

“It seems to be pointing to Cocoyashi Village…”

“Treasure in Cocoyashi Village?”

“Really?”

“That’s my own personal map!” Nami burst, reaching out for it instinctively. “It has nothing to do with you at all!”

“Oh, what’s wrong?” Kurobi pressed, keeping his prize just out of reach. “You suddenly look so furious…”

 _Because you’re an infuriating asshole_ , Hikari thought hotly, seeing Usopp reach into his bag slyly-

But Nami saw, too, whipping together her staff and smashing it across the sharpshooter’s face to send him skidding away.

“Damn it!” He sputtered, jerking upright. “You picking a fight?!”

“You’re getting in the way.” Nami replied, eerily calm. “You’re the one to blame. This is what you get for messing with Arlong.”

“Nami, you really disappoint me!” Usopp declared, scrambling to his feet with his back to the pools, and Arlong smirked at the sharp pull on the chain in his hand. “Even after you stole our ship and ran off, Luffy didn’t suspect you one bit! Even now, he completely trusts you! How can you trick someone like that with such an uncaring look?!”

“The only thing I trust is money.” The redhead replied blankly. “Those who get fooled are the fools.”

“Say what?! Even Kari was on your side!” He argued, gesturing wildly to the pinned key-holder. “She heard everything, and still wanted to help you!”

“Everything was supposed to go smoothly…” The navigator muttered, grabbing the knife from Kurobi in place of her staff. “You guys are going to make my eight years of business meaningless, so the least I can do is get rid of you by my own hand.”

“Nami, _don’t_.” Hikari hissed, pupils retracting into slits as Arlong chuckled.

“Seems you’ve become a lot more pirate-like since you were last here.”

“Get rid of?” Usopp squeaked, barely recovering his composure with a false laugh. “ _You_ , get rid of _me_? Don’t make me laugh!”

“I wouldn’t underestimate me, if I were you.”

“Special Attack! Smoke Star!”

Hikari bit back a curse as the strangle-floral smoke filled her vision, blinking, trying to see-

“This is just like something you’d think up.”

“Nami!”

The pinkette stared as the smoke cleared to reveal Nami pulling her knife back, blood dripping off the blade, as Usopp toppled into the pool.

Cheers went up from the surrounding fishmen as she took the other woman in, gaze catching on her hand before meeting guarded brown eyes.

 _Yeah, I know that look_.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“ _You’ll see things my way eventually, little bird. The only question is if you want to do this the easy way...or the hard way_.”

Studying the shackles on her wrist, Hikari glanced towards the door of her well-furnished prison when the lock clicked open, and there was Nami, a glove over her left hand and a weariness in her eyes.

“Why did you follow me?”

“Did you think we wouldn’t?” The pinkette wondered, vaguely amused.

“I stole your ship!” Nami snapped, getting riled now. “I got you captured! Why do you care what happens to me?!”

“Because you didn’t want to do those things.” Hikari explained calmly, brow quirking just so as the redhead froze. “Did you?”

“...I have no choice.” She admitted quietly, an old, rankled pain making her voice as hoarse as the key-holder’s own. “I almost have the money Arlong and I agreed on. Then I’ll be free, and Cocoyashi Village will be safe.”

“If you had just asked, I would have given you the money.”

The redhead scoffed, eyeing her disbelievingly.

“You would have just _given_ me a hundred million beli?”

Sitting back on the couch, Hikari met her eyes firmly, calm and sure.

“Yes.”

Nami faltered, gaze flicking over her face to find any sign of falsehood or a lie, and her composure cracked.

“ _Why_?”

“You make it sound like I haven’t dealt with ego-maniacal tyrants before.” She joked, mirth smothered by a great weight that Nami had never seen in her eyes before. “You’re nakama, Nami. I want to help you.”

For the first time in years, the navigator broke apart and cried.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pressing an ear to the wood, Hikari listened carefully for any sign of life in the hallway beyond, breath held tight in her lungs.

When no footfall or breathing or subtle shifting reached her for a full minute, she quickly produced a thin metal lockpick from the high hem of a boot, slipping the curled end into the keyhole visible on the shackle’s underside.

With an expert wiggle and turn and pull, the seam opened with a click, and Hikari rolled her left wrist while manipulating the second lock into giving way.

A moment of consideration, testing the weight and the chain, and she coiled the shackles on her hip like a manriki before crouching to study the door’s own lock.

Pulling a second pick out, the pinkette listened closely as she worked both tools into the mechanism, smile breaking across her face at the slight catch she felt.

 _Got it_.

Careful, not wanting to make undue noise, she wiggled the lock into disengaging and put away her tools before cracking the door open to peer out.

There was not a fishman in sight, all of them confident that there was no need for a guard, and Hikari bit down on a smile as she slipped out, closing the door and glancing both ways.

 _Now, where would they keep my keys_....

There were a couple of other doors on this floor, and she peeked through one with a cracked entryway, seeing no occupant amid the many boxes of disinfectants and mops and buckets before moving on to the next.

Working systematically, Hikari cleared roughly two floors of rooms before finding what she was looking for on the first floor.

The room was full of various swords and guns and other assorted weapons, her gaze lingering warily on a massive saw-toothed, sword-like weapon that took center-stage before spotting her keyring and tonfa thrown unceremoniously on a nearby desk.

The weight of all twelve in her palm settled Hikari’s soul, jingling happily, and she held them to her heart for a moment before unclipping one.

“Open, Gate of the Fox! KURAMA!”

Shaking out his fur, the kitsune glanced around for a moment, nose twitching and ears cocking just so, before meeting her eyes with a slow, vulpine grin.

“Well, this is about as interesting as I expected…”

“It’s about to get a little more interesting.” She assured, starting to smile back. “How’s your sense of smell?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BAM!

BAM!

CRUNCH!

“Which one of you is Arlong?”

The fishmen stared as Luffy stormed over the rubble he had made of Arlong Park’s door, though said captain did not so much as turn his head.

“ _My_ name happens to be Arlong.”

“I’m Luffy.” The hat-less captain stated firmly. “I’m a pirate! And I want my Kari back!”

“Aw, that’s sweet.”

All eyes snapped up to the lowest curved section of rooftop overhead where Hikari lounged, one foot swinging freely while her elbow rested on a bent knee, smile sly.

“Hasn’t even been a day, and you missed me that much?”

Grabbing the roof’s edge, she flipped herself over to land in a crouch before him, keys jangling merrily in greeting.

“At least you don’t need to go looking for me.”

“Hikari-san!” Sanji blubbered, heart-eyes and all, as he practically teleported over. “Your beauty knows no bounds!”

“Oi, shut up, will you?” Zoro grouched, knuckles going white on his katana’s hilt at the sight of a darkening bruise engulfing her throat.

“Pull any stitches doing something stupid while I was gone?” Hikari teased, gaze lingering on the bandages covering his chest in search of any seeping red, and the swordsman scoffed.

“Look who’s talking.”

“KARI!” Usopp wailed, throwing himself on the pinkette with tears streaming down his face. “YOU’RE ALIVE!”

“‘Course I’m alive.” She grumbled, patting his back in comfort. “Are you okay? You fell pretty hard....”

“Your heart shines like true gold, Hikari-san!” Sanji swooned, and Zoro smirked at the thoroughly unimpressed expression on her face as Luffy marched towards a seated Arlong.

“Do you come up with this shit on the spot, or do think it up ahead of time?”

BAM!

The crew turned, intrigued, as a solid punch sent the fishman captain crashing through a solid wall, the watching mob of Cocoyashi villagers staring on in stunned silence.

“Don’t make our navigator cry!”

“Yeesh…” Sanji complained, stepping up to join him as the fishmen visibly rallied. “You just had to run ahead by yourself.”

“It’s not like I’d lose on my own.”

“Idiot!” The cook sputtered, cigarette nearly falling from his lips. “When did I say I was worried about you? I just don’t want you hogging all the prey! How else would Hikari-san see me valiantly rescuing her?”

“Do you live in a romance novel?” The pinkette drawled, Zoro snickering as Usopp joined their captain, shaking like a leaf.

“I don’t mind if you hog them all, though.”

“You sure got some guts.” The swordsman approved, and she rolled her eyes.

“Pull your weight this time, at least.”

“A pirate, huh?” Arlong mused, not moving from his slump against the debris. “I see...So that’s what you guys’ deal is. You were after Nami from the very start. But what can you four inferior creatures possibly do?”

“Fool!” An octopus-fishman scolded. “You’re not worth Arlong’s time! _He’ll_ be more than enough!”

Using his elongated mouth like a trumpet, he blasted a call over the water out to sea, and Hikari quirked a brow at the sudden dread from the villagers being held back by Johnny and Yosaku at the wall.

“The whole lot of you will be food for him! Come out, Momoo!”

The ocean began to rumble, the walls shake, and Usopp was already hiding behind her as a great swell came through the half-submerged gate and rose to reveal-

“Aw…”

The green-spotted sea-cow blinked tears from his eyes at the unexpected reaction, focusing on the pink-haired woman that stepped forward to meet him with a smile, as the surrounding humans and fishman watched in confusion.

“Who gave you that lump, sweetheart?” Hikari cooed, not at all afraid of a creature hundreds of times larger than herself. “I can’t believe anybody’d hurt such a cute baby…”

Sanji went very pale at this as Momoo tearfully collapsed before her, curling large flipper-arms around the petite woman as she pat gently at a soft pink nose, humming comfort.

“Oh, it’s alright, sweetheart...I won’t let anyone hurt you…”

Sniffling, the poor sea-cow spotted Luffy and Sanji with a whimper, and she glanced back at them with narrowed eyes.

“...You didn’t.”

“He wanted to eat our lunch!” The rubber boy defended, pouting, as the cook crumbled in despair.

“My apologies, Hikari-san! That I should upset such a pure-hearted maiden...I’m ashamed of myself!”

“Is no one gonna mention her making friends with a man-eating sea monster?” Usopp blustered, looking around for support, and Zoro shrugged.

“Momoo.”

Arlong’s voice caused said sea-cow to freeze up in terror, and Hikari’s attention swung his way with a glare.

“What are you doing?”

Feeling the violent tremors under her hands, her repressed anger bubbled up, dark eyes bleeding gold.

“He’s done being used by you.” She bit back, a gold key in hand and pressed against Momoo’s damp flesh. “And I’m done letting you think you can use me, too. Open, Gate of the Water-Bearer! AQUARIUS!”

The fishmen went slack-jawed as the mermaid-Spirit rose from her Gate, expression like thunder.

“You dare harm my hime?! TORRENT!!!”

Water roared from her urn with the force of a tsunami, more than even a fishman could withstand, and the Straw Hats watched, wide-eyed, as most of the opposing crew were swept up in a great tornado of raging water and thrown out to sea so far it was impossible to see where they landed.

Momoo, who had covered his head during this, peeked out in surprise at the relative quiet, and Aquarius smirked, patting his forehead.

“Cute.”

Hikari giggled, swaying, and Zoro cursed as he lurched forward with Luffy’s stretching hand to catch her by the shoulders.

“Okay, that was too soon…” She slurred, sagging into their grip, and Luffy carefully reeled her in as Aquarius faded through her Gate with a guilty frown.

“We’ve got the rest.” The captain promised, Sanji almost flailing at the unfairness of it all when Hikari leaned into him with a sigh, as the octopus-fishman popped up in a fury.

“How dare you hurt our brothers?!”

“It would seem we need to fight, too.” Kurobi agreed, stern as ever.

“Looks like we need to teach them the differences between our species, huh Hachi?” Choo agreed, untroubled.

“The main forces finally show up, huh?” Zoro approved, a hand on his katana’s hilt.

“Arlong-san, please stay there quietly.”

“If you go on a mad rampage, you’ll tear all of Arlong Park into pieces.”

“We’ll take care of these guys!”

“Yeah.” Arlong eventually agreed, settling back as if to watch a good show. “Do as you wish.”

“Seems I’ve wound up on a crew with an amazing woman, even if the captain’s one hell of an idiot.” Sanji mused, taking a deep drag of his cigarette as Hikari sat against said captain’s legs, drained. “But he’s a hundred times better than a damn gang that’d hurt a lady.”

“Lady?” Kurobi echoed, unimpressed with the cook already. “To think you’d burst in here just for these lousy girls. You really know how to make us laugh.”

“Lousy girls?” Sanji repeated, deadly serious. “Just try and insult Nami-san or Hikari-hime one more time. I’ll use a buttered frying pan to turn you into meuniere, fishman!”

“Damn, now _he’s_ doing it…” Hikari whined, a smile quirking Luffy’s stern mouth as Momoo slid into the pool closest to the Cocoyashi villagers to keep a safe distance.

“You seem somewhat skilled for a human. Any sort of chivalry from a pirate is obviously half-hearted.” Kurobi shot back, and Sanji visibly seethed.

“Go ahead and see if my chivalry is half-hearted or not. I _was_ raised by an unbeatable pirate for half my life.”

“It appears you don’t know the true level of the fishman species.”

“For the love of all the stars in the sky, JUST HIT EACH OTHER ALREADY!” Hikari cut in, slitting an eye open in irritation, and Hachi froze in lifting a piece of rubble at the length of a sheathed katana suddenly in his face.

“Hey, octopus.”

Zoro fixed the fishman with a glare.

“She’s not fighting right now. _I’ll_ take you on.”

The swordsman dodged as Hachi swung at him instead, missing entirely.

“How dare you attack my brothers?!”

“I’m not interested in these old stories.” Zoro retorted, unsheathing his sword. “It doesn’t matter what reasons you have for wanting to kill me. The situation’s changed now. You’re not trying to destroy us. _We’re_ trying to destroy _you_.”

Choo avoided both of these burgeoning battles, heading straight for-

“Exploding Star!”

Hikari blinked at the unexpected intervention as a ticked-off fishman stared down a very-sweaty Usopp.

“Seems you really _do_ want me to kill you.”

Without further prompting, the sniper took off screaming out of Arlong Park with Choo in hot pursuit, and Luffy felt her jolt when the fishman suddenly stopped.

“You’re the people from Cocoyashi Village. Judging from the fact that you have weapons, I take it this is a rebellion? Then you’re all-”

“Exploding Star!”

Well, _that_ caught his attention.

“You’re dealing with _me_!” Usopp declared, shaking from nose to toes even in his bravery.

“If you wanna die that badly, I’ll get rid of you right now!”

Fingers tangled in her messy curls, and Hikari tipped her head back to meet Luffy’s smile.

“Usopp can take care of him.”

“Hachi Ink Jet!”

Ducking under the spray of black liquid, Zoro came back around in a horizontal swing that just barely missed taking off the octopus-fishman’s head, instead lopping off the points of his hair.

“My hair! You bastard! I’m gonna-” The fishman raged, suddenly going calm. “Forgive you, since it’s just hair and it's gonna grow back.”

“Huh?”

“What shit is he smoking?” Hikari wondered, almost envious.

“You can’t cut me because I have six hands.” Hachi claimed, taking a stance. “Go ahead and cut me if you can! Hachi’s-Triple-Sword-Catch!”

Three distinct claps, and she sighed at the OUCH that followed a few moments later.

“I don’t have time to play with you.” Zoro complained, almost jealous of Sanji and the serious trading of blows he was engaged in against Kurobi.

But something was wrong, Hikari realized, heart twisting.

The battle had barely begun and the swordsman’s breathing was labored, shoulders heaving and sweat darkening the bandages he had used in lieu of a shirt, and she thought there might already be spots of red appearing along the horrible slice splitting his chest.

“Go down already.” Zoro growled, charging, but Hachi jumped straight up to avoid him and cling to a column.

“Hachi Suckers!”

…

“So what? Come down already! You damn octopus!”

“Zoro…” Hikari worried, Luffy petting her hair as a frown tipped his mouth.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question? You don’t, right?” Hachi wondered from above, as if oblivious to the situation. “I heard you use the Three Sword Style. Why are you using only one sword?”

“You’re already losing big with one sword!” The swordsman shot back, frustrated.

“Shut up! I’m not fighting seriously! Actually, there’s a reason that a human swordsman can’t defeat me. Wanna hear what it is? You wanna hear it, right? When you hear it, you’ll be surprised, scared, blown away-”

“FUCKING TELL US ALREADY!!!” Hikari roared, nearly startling the fishman from his perch, and the swordsman’s sudden stagger jolted her anger loose. “Zoro!”

“He can do it.” Luffy assured before Sanji could even turn his head from where he was hammering Kurobi’s arm-fins with powerful kicks.

“What’re you doing?” Hachi wondered, suspicious. “Are you trying to fake illness or something? I won’t fall for that, Roronoa Zoro! Just check out my true form!”

The fishman scuttled up to a higher window as Zoro slumped, breathing ragged when Hachi returned with a sword in each of his six hands.

“Look! This is my true form! Here comes Hachi, user of the Six Sword Style!”

And Zoro fell.

“Shit!”

Ignoring the very loud protests of her muscles, and Hachi’s complaints, the pinkette lurched forward to press a hand to Zoro’s back.

His skin burned under her palm, feverish, proving Hikari’s earlier worries about his wound well-founded as she glanced back towards Luffy.

“You need to get up.” The key-holder voiced, arms starting to shake as Hachi hopped down, swords flailing. “Because if _I_ have to fight this asshole, _nobody’s_ gonna be happy.”

Biting out a growl, Zoro started to rise, a flicker of his eyes enough to reassure her as Luffy’s arms stretched to catch the exhausted pinkette before every muscle gave out and reel her back in.

“The Six Sword Style, huh?” Zoro muttered, cutting through his opponent’s rant as he rose. “What a joke. I’ll tell you one thing, octopus. There’s a man I need to meet up with. Until I see him again, my life can’t be taken away even by Death himself!”

“What is it, Roronoa Zoro?” Hachi wondered as the human swordsman placed his katana between clenched teeth, tying on his bandana. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but you look like you’re in pain. You think you can defeat my Six Sword Style in that condition? Everyone in the whole world thinks the same way.”

“That’s none of your business. I’ll show you the Three Sword Style. Yosaku! Johnny! Let me use your swords!”

The pair of bounty hunters scrambled to obey immediately, sending their blades in spinning arcs towards their comrade as Hachi laughed.

“Ha! I’ll show you the wall that you humans with two arms can’t surpass! Six Sword Style: Tentacle-Sword Overload!”

Catching both swords by the hilts, Zoro spun into the wild, flailing assault, diverting and blocking and dodging every slice with surprising ease for someone so heavily wounded.

“Three Sword Style: Toro Nagashi!”

A moment later, Hachi’s chest burst open in criss-crossing slashes, throwing him back a few paces before regaining coherency.

“How dare you have the impudence to do such a thing? I’m really mad, you son of a bitch! I’m gonna kill you! If you just think about it, you should know! I can hold six swords, so there’s no way you can defeat me when you can only hold three swords! Isn’t that right?!”

Luffy snorted on a giggle, and Zoro smirked.

“Whether it’s three swords or six swords, it doesn’t matter. Your sword and my sword carry different weight.”

“Weight, you said?” Hachi wondered, confused. “I see. So your swords are heavy. But my swords weigh at least three hundred kilos per sword, though they may not look it. They weigh a lot more than you humans’ swords, you bastard!”

“No, that’s not what he meant.” Hikari deadpanned, Luffy’s smile a bit sheepish.

“I knew that, Kari!”

“There’s no point in discussing with an idiot.” Zoro decided as his opponent took a new stance.

“Six Sword Style: Octopus Pot Stance! New Years-”

The octopus-fishman lunged, his swords coming together in a point to strike Zoro’s borrowed swords-

“-Open!”

Guard broken, the swordsman had no time to react before Hachi headbutted him directly in the chest.

“Body Slam!”

“Fuck!” Hikari burst, eyes wide, as Zoro was sent flying with his opponent following close behind.

“That’ll show you! I won’t let you land while you’re still alive! Six Sword Ultimate Technique: Waltz of Six Swords!”

The whirling of all six blades kicked up a strong wind, like a woodchipper kickstarting, Johnny and Yosaku crying out as Zoro fell-

And twisted.

Hachi cried out, fresh blood spilling from his hands and grips lost on all his blades, as the green-haired man landed in a crouch.

“That bastard! I’m completely angry now! I won’t let him get away! I’m gonna really kill him good!”

Zoro swayed for a moment, nearly stumbled, but his gaze latched on Luffy and Hikari, steadying him.

“Six Sword Style: Octopus Pot Stance! New Years-”

Bandages stained red and lungs heaving, Zoro spun.

“Tatsu Maki!”

All six swords shattered as their wielder flew into the air in a gush of red, crashing into an unconscious heap after a few weightless moments.

“Octo-man...You now know the difference between the weight in our swords, right? Are you happy now?”

A hand flew out to catch his shoulder, and Luffy pulled in the barely-conscious swordsman to collapse into Hikari’s lap, the pinkette hissing as she saw how much red was saturating the bandages.

“Shit, you’ve really outdone yourself this time.”

“Stop fussing.” He muttered, collapsing between her straightened legs with his head cushioned by soft breasts. “Worry more about the pervert cook.”

Said pervert cook nearly got his head knocked off from almost blowing his top at the sight of Zoro’s position, and Hikari sighed.

“Oi, aren’t you done yet?”

“I’ll be just a moment, Hikari-hime!” Sanji cooed, heart-eye popping through for a moment before he refocused to dodge a palm-strike.

“Pathetic.” Kurobi stated, unimpressed. “Know that your inevitable failure here means the girl will be Arlong-san’s pet, just like Nami.”

The blonde cook almost lit up in flames at this, startling Hikari, and _moved_.

“Collier.”

The blow snapped Kurobi into the concrete _hard_.

“My chivalry is naive? Epaule!”

The fishman’s face met the ground this time, and Luffy grinned proudly.

“I can’t protect anyone, you said? Cotelette! Selle! Poitrine! Gigot!”

Struggling upright, Kurobi lost his focus in a flood of rage.

“Son of a bitch! Ultimate Fist: Thousand Brick-”

“Mouton Shot!”

Arlong Park rumbled as Sanji’s blow struck, sending his opponent flying _through_ the building’s walls and out the other side.

“I guess he doesn’t want dessert.”

“Arlong!”

Everyone turned at the unexpected shout to find Nami, straw hat tipped back on her head and left arm almost completely bandaged up to the shoulder, glaring at the shark-man with eight years’ worth of rage.

“Hey, Nami.” Arlong greeted, veneer of politeness worn thin with the defeat of his lieutenants. “I was about to crush some pirates just now. What did you come here for?”

“To kill you.” The navigator replied coldly, grip tight around her staff.

“To kill me?”

Laughter burst from the gargantuan captain, and Sanji shifted as if to grab up Nami while Zoro’s hand came up to hold tight onto Hikari’s wrist.

“You never learn, do you? How many times did you try to kill me during the eight years you were with us? You tried assassination, poison, sneak attacks...Were you able to actually kill me? You must be completely aware that you mere humans can’t kill me. Now, listen. I won’t kill you, and you can’t escape from me. Nami, you’ll be our surveyor forever. And the little bird will be our key to conquering the East Blue.”

Luffy’s face darkened at this, blank as the sea before a storm.

“But, as you know, I’m a good-natured man. If possible, I want you to be here of your own free will. So, how about this? I’ll be killing everyone here except you two.”

Hikari growled, eyes flooding gold, as Nami froze.

“But if you happily come back to the Arlong Pirates, I don’t mind letting those people from Cocoyashi Village live. But I can’t let these guys live. They went too far. The question is who you’ll be with. You either take my side now and get saved along with the villagers, or be on these weaklings’ side and try fighting against me with everyone. Are you my friend...or their friend?”

“I’ll rip you apart before you ever so much as _look_ at Nami again.” Hikari snarled, voice almost a demonic rasp from abuse, and the navigator nodded, gripping Luffy’s hat as she turned to the villagers with a watery smile.

“Everyone, I’m sorry! Please die with me!”

The villagers roared in agreement, and Luffy pouted.

“Hey! _I’m_ gonna beat up Arlong!”

“Then hop to it, captain.” The pinkette snarked as Usopp popped over the wall, waving his slingshot.

“I’ve got your back, Luffy!”

“At least he’s alive.” She noted dryly, amused at their sniper’s giddy excitement.

“Listen! I beat one of the leaders! I beat one of the leaders! I beat one of the leaders! The guy with a face like this!” Usopp crowed, pulling on his mouth to mimic Choo’s. “Fishmen are a piece of cake! Serves you right! With my arrival, the fight comes to a climax at once!”

With a nod, Luffy stepped onto the battlefield as Momoo curled a green-spotted flipper around Hikari and Zoro, immediately going on the offensive.

“Gum Gum Whip! Gum Gum Pistol!”

Luffy’s fists blurred as each blow struck dead-on.

“Gum Gum Gatling!”

The half-demolished wall gave way fully under the assault, before a massive shadow rose from the dust.

“Did you do something?”

“Yep.” Luffy answered, unfazed that his opening barrage had so little effect. “That was my warm-up.”

“What a bunch of scum, nobly hanging on...Can you understand my anger? It’s the anger of seeing my dear brothers crushed by worms.”

The rubber boy hardly seemed to hear this tirade, stretching for the battle to come as Arlong seethed.

“You’ll realize soon enough that you should’ve died without fighting. What’s the terrifying difference between you and me?”

“Nose.”

Hikari face-palmed at this answer as Zoro sagged on a defeated sigh, Sanji shielding his face with a hand.

“Jaw? Webs!”

“SPECIES!” The fishman exploded, lunging to take a bite out of his quickly-retreating opponent.

Suddenly, Luffy was on the defensive, jumping back to avoid those razor-sharp fangs before being pinned to a column by one hand-

The rubber captain was able to pull his head and neck out of the way just in time so that jaw clamped on stone instead, and Usopp cheered.

“Such a fool! He hurt himself by biting on a rock! Now his teeth’re-”

Cracks spiderwebbed up the entire construct, crumbling to dust, and Hikari blinked slowly.

“...You were saying?”

“Ah! That’s scary!” Luffy yelped, scrambling to make some distance as Arlong straightened.

“You see? This is the inherent power of a fishman. Heaven discriminated against you humans and made you powerless creatures that bow before fishmen. You humans are inferior creatures. We were on a different level from the moment we were born. I’ll show you the real difference between you and me.”

“Yeah?” Luffy challenged, grinning. “Why don’t you? No way I’ll lose against a fish. I’m the man who’ll be Pirate King!”

“Pirate King?” Arlong echoed, crushing a hunk of stone under his webbed hand. “Don’t make me laugh. Can you inferior humans do something like crush a pillar with your teeth?”

“So what?” He retorted, fist smashing through a hunk of rubble with equal ease. “Stop bragging over stuff like that! It’s not like biting is the only way to break stone!”

“That’s beside the point! A stupid and weak species, that’s what humans are. What can you do when you can’t even pull yourself out of the water?!”

Luffy dodged the next lunge, rubbery arms snapping out to grab Johnny and Yosaku’s abandoned swords to swing them back around.

“Nothing! That’s why I need help! Take that! And that! And that!”

“What’re you doing?” Arlong wondered, easily avoiding the sharp edges. “It looks like you’re just swinging swords around.”

“That’s pretty much what he’s doing, yeah.” Hikari deadpanned, running a hand through Zoro’s damp hair as the swordsman grumbled.

The shark-man cracked one blade with his nose, the other shattering between his teeth.

“If you’re just playing around, I’m not going to join your little game. Enough of this nonsense-”

“Clench your teeth!”

Whipping around, he landed a punch squarely in Arlong’s pearly whites and shattered them.

“I don’t know how to use swords, you bastard! I can’t use keys or tonfa! I don’t know how to sail the oceans! I can’t cook! I can’t lie, either! I’m confident that I can’t live without help!”

“Fully admitting how pathetic you are…” Arlong muttered, one hand over his mouth. “You sure are honest. I bet your crew is bothered by having such an incompetent captain like you. Someone like you, without any pride, has the caliber to be a captain? What on earth can you do?”

Luffy fixed him with a fierce look.

“I CAN DEFEAT YOU!”

“Of course, you damn idiot.” Sanji agreed, leaning against Momoo’s flipper while he lit a fresh cigarette.

“If he dies, I’m gonna kill him.” Zoro grumbled, slitting an eye open.

“Stupid’s hard to beat.” Hikari noted, amused, as Momoo hummed hopefully.

“I’ve got your back!” Usopp assured, grinning.

“Go on, Gum Gum!” The villagers cheered, waving their weapons like banners.

“Go on and babble, you inferior species!” Arlong snapped, his broken teeth falling away as fresh ones slid into place.

“I hate sharks.” The key-holder muttered as Luffy flailed in surprise.

As if to prove his point, Arlong _ripped out_ that entire set of teeth, and then the ones that grew in after that, holding them like deadly castanets in each hand while grinning to reveal the pearly-whites that had replaced them.

“This is a distinctive quality that heaven gave us. Are you starting to realize what a superior species the fishmen are?”

“If he says that shit one more time, he’s going to need a new _skull_.” Hikari hissed, Momoo whining pitifully as the fishman captain struck.

“Tooth Attack!”

Luffy jerked back, falling over his own feet to avoid every snap, grabbing onto Arlong’s arm as he was forced into the rubble-

“LUFFY!” The crew cried out, horrified as those teeth tore in-

Until Arlong froze.

When his bulk shifted back, the watching humans breathed out a sigh of relief to see that Luffy had grabbed a nearby fishman to use as a shield, and so was relatively unscathed.

“You damn rubber man! How dare you use my brother as a shield?!”

“What’re you saying?! You’re the one who attacked me!”

“Don’t move, you damn rubber man!” Arlong threatened, readying another volley as his opponent perked up.

“Oh yeah! I’ve got an interesting idea!”

“Oh stars, he’s going to die.” Hikari deadpanned, Zoro’s grip squeezing on her wrist as Luffy returned to dodging in earnest.

Standing his ground, the rubber captain whipped his foot up and across Arlong’s face, finally gaining some breathing room as his opponent fell, all three sets of teeth lost amid the debris.

“There’s no point in crushing my teeth repeatedly. You still don’t get-?”

“Look! I’ve got fangs, too!”

“I thought as much.” Zoro grumbled as Arlong burst.

“How long are you going to keep fooling around?!”

The next blow caught Luffy in a graze across the shoulder, and Hikari face-palmed as her captain flailed on the ground in exaggerated pain.

“Please make it stop.”

“Tooth Attack!”

Luckily, Luffy regained enough composure to avoid being sliced open, using bits of rubble to make a shield-

A tooth-serrated hand slammed into his belly, smashing the rubber boy into the ground, and he sank his own ill-gotten fangs into the fishman’s shoulder in retaliation.

“How do you like your own teeth?” He spat out along with said fangs, stumbling back and pressing a hand over the set buried in his side.

“Even if it’s _my_ teeth you used, it’s _your_ weak jaw, after all.” The fishman retorted, unphased as he pried them loose. “Listen up. Shark teeth become useful when they come with a strong jaw that can bite off the meat.”

With that, he lunged, and Luffy met his open maw with an elbow.

Crying out in pain, the rubber boy anchored himself instead of flailing about and lifted the larger Arlong to slam him down head-first, tumbling free of those sharp teeth.

For a few moments, there was a stillness on the battlefield as their enemy slipped into the water and Luffy finally wrenched the fangs out of his side, rising.

“Careful, idiot!” Hikari warned, pressing a hand to Momoo’s slick hide as the sea-cow tried to crawl out of his pool and hide behind her. “He’s in the water!”

“The water?” Luffy echoed, spotting a fin as it rose from the depths. “There’s a shark!”

“That’s Arlong!” Usopp shouted, dumbfounded at their captain’s obliviousness.

Then the fin disappeared.

Water exploded, tossing Luffy off his feet and breaking the second floor wall of Arlong Park, faster than the eye could follow.

“What the fuck was that?!” Hikari worried, looking from a complaining Luffy to the newly-made hole that Arlong was stepping out of.

“Wow, I’m impressed you dodged it. But the more you dodge it, the longer your hell continues. Shark Darts!”

The fishman lunged, nose-first, and shattered the concrete into useless chunks when Luffy barely avoided being skewered on the serrated length.

“Shark Darts!”

The rubber boy barely tossed himself out of the way in time, merely being grazed, as Arlong landed back in the water.

“Hey, Luffy, hide!” Usopp shouted, flailing. “Arlong went into the sea again!”

“No…”

“At least don’t stand right in the open, you moron!” Hikari shouted, heart pounding and throat tight.

“Don’t be stupid!” Sanji agreed, cigarette bending in his teeth. “Are you knowingly going to become a target?! Hide!”

“I don’t want to!” Luffy shot back, stubborn. “I’ll catch him and break his nose! Come on, shark!”

“Didn’t you hear us saying you should hide, Luffy?!” Usopp shot back, frustrated. “You barely dodged his attacks, and they all grazed you! If you take a direct hit, you’ll die instantly!”

Scowling, Luffy interlocked his fingers in a reverse grip.

“Gum Gum Shield!”

An eruption, and Zoro could only blink at finding Arlong being held back by rubbery fingers, Luffy flinging himself free and forcing the fishman into a crash-landing.

“You lose.” The rubber captain declared, giggling and clinging to an upper wall like a limpet. “That attack won’t work anymore.”

“Shark Darts!”

Luffy flailed at the unexpected attack from below, losing his grip and pushing off, and Arlong used the roof’s edge to get a new trajectory on the apparently-helpless human.

“Gum Gum Finger Net!”

The interlocked net of fingers tangled around the shark-man, allowing Luffy to use that momentum and swing up to gain the height advantage.

“And Spear!”

Concrete smashed on impact, obscuring the landing, and Hikari coughed, squinting to see…

“Fuck.”

Because those were the slit eyes of a predator, not a fishman.

“I’ve never seen Arlong’s eyes like that…” Nami whispered, clearly terrified.

“You inferior human!” Arlong roared, whipping his opponent around and through a wall. “What did you do to me, a fishman?!”

Grabbing a balcony railing overhead, Luffy swung himself away before the shark-man smashed a fist through the wall he had been in front of, pulling free that massive serrated sword Hikari had seen in the weapons’ room.

“Shark Saw!” Nami recognized, wincing as Arlong brought the strange blade down at Luffy’s head.

To his credit, the rubber boy managed to avoid each blow by swinging to a higher floor, every section of roof and wall smashing apart behind him.

The battle disappeared through a fifth-story window, and everyone held their breath, waiting...

A desk burst out, taking out a window and a good section of wall, spilling papers and pens and ink across the ground below, and Hikari only needed a glance at Nami’s face to know what it was.

 _Smash it all up, Luffy_.

A bookshelf and a chair followed soon after, then an avalanche of what must have been sea charts and maps poured out like a waterfall...

Then Luffy’s foot crashed through the roof, stretching up and up and-

Arlong Park cracked audibly right down the center, all the way to its foundation, and Zoro cursed as Momoo scooped up him and Hikari, rearing back as the building gave way.

“Shit! Luffy!”

“Nami-san, this way!” Sanji urged, almost bodily lifting the navigator when she hesitated to follow.

Watching the concrete and wood settle, a grave for a broken throne, Hikari scoured it for a flash of red...

Luffy rose from the debris, battered and bleeding but _alive_ , and threw back his head in a roar.

“NAMI! YOU’RE MY NAKAMA!”

Tears filled the navigator’s eyes, hidden by the brim of a straw hat, as the villagers rushed forward to crowd around Luffy, tossing him into the air in celebration.

Well, until they dropped him.

Laughing helplessly, Hikari pat at Momoo’s head as he slowly placed her and Zoro on a stable piece of ground.

Everything seemed have gone just-

“Hold it right there, you!”

“If that’s a marine, I’m going to be very upset.” She declared blandly, Zoro chuckling as he watched the mouse-like man approach with his squadron.

“What a lucky day today is! Well done. I watched the entire fight. Fluke as it was, I never once imagined the fishmen would lose to a bunch of nameless pirates like you. However, thanks to you, all the money I was to give Arlong, and all the money and valuables stored in Arlong Park, are now mine! Everyone, drop your weapons! I, Colonel Nezumi of Navy Branch Number Sixteen, hereby take credit for what you’ve done here-URK!”

The sailors paled as a very _not happy_ Hikari lifted their superior officer by the neck, eyes flashing gold, and one actually passed out when Momoo rose behind them, baring surprisingly-sharp teeth.

“Learn to read the mood, asshole.”

Usopp winced, covering his eyes, and Nojiko gave an impressed whistle as the colonel was dropped in a twisted, battered heap.

“You should be ashamed of yourselves, trying to take advantage of people who needed your help.” Hikari scolded, tone frigid, as the surrounding marines trembled in terror in Momoo’s shadow. “Which is why you’re going to make up for it by cleaning up this shit-pile, rebuilding Gosa, and returning Nami’s money.”

“But-”

Luffy blinked at the choked, squeaking sound that escaped instead of words as her boot pressed into _very sensitive_ flesh, getting strangely jittery.

“And if I hear even a _rumor_ that you touched any of the villager’s valuables, I’m going to be _upset_.” Hikari added, smile all sharp edges, and it made Zoro’s heartbeat kick up a notch. “And you wouldn’t want me to be _upset_ , would you?”

Colonel Nezumi could only nod frantically, starting to turn green from the pain, and scrambled away at supersonic speed once she let up pressure.

“I’ll get you, you rotten pirates!”

“I’m absolutely terrified.” Hikari drawled, reaching back to lean against Momoo’s slick hide as his marines swiftly followed. “Trembling in my boots...Hey, Nami? You mind if I keep him?”

Plopping Luffy’s hat back on his head, the redhead blinked up at a sheepish Momoo before sighing.

“Only for you, Kari.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A grunt of pain, and Hikari blinked through the blurriness of thick dreams to see Doctor Nako still working on Zoro’s torso with a sharp needle, disapproving.

“You fool! Trying to take care of such a big injury on your own! Honestly! Are you folks really pirates? Do you even have a ship doctor?!”

“We’re working on it…” Hikari croaked, voice a bit less raw now thanks to a chilled herb blend and a paste that had been spread over her bruised throat.

“A doctor? That sounds good, too!”

Their eyes all turned to a window that stood open between the two medical cots, Luffy grinning as the festivities floated in from behind him and swinging a hank of meat in one hand.

“But a musician comes first. Right, Zoro? Kari?”

“Why’s that?” The swordsman gritted out, and he grinned.

“Pirates sing, you know?”

A bedside table suddenly took flight, smacking into Luffy’s face and sending him flying back out into a celebrating Cocoyashi, and Doctor Nako blinked owlishly as Hikari yawned widely.

“Doctor first. Sleep now?”

Choking out a chuckle, Zoro nodded, expression softening with fondness.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Doctor Nako watched as the pinkette relaxed, slipping instantly into a deep sleep, and looked down at his patient with a sigh.

“Well, at least _one_ of you seems to have some sense…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cocoyashi Village was alive with laughter and music, lights trailing from rooftop to rooftop and tables groaning under their delicious burden, as the entire island gathered to commemorate their long-awaited freedom.

Weaving through the crowds, a plate of sushi and lobster balanced in one hand and a bottle of sake in the other, Hikari smiled when she spotted a familiar face in the comparative-darkness of an alleyway.

Quirking a brow, Zoro watched as the pinkette dropped onto the ledge next to him, plate settling between them as she shook the bottle invitingly.

“If you’re gonna drink, you should eat something, too.”

With a shrug, the swordsman grabbed a denuded lobster tail and accepted the bottle, taking a swig as she popped a piece of sushi into her mouth.

Usopp was a block down, leading another rendition of his victory ballad, as the pinkette accepted the bottle back for a sip.

Even after three days of sleep, Zoro could tell she was still a bit ragged around the edges, exhausted, but...happy.

He had seen that same expression when Hikari had gone off to check on a surprisingly-docile Momoo, making sure he was fed and staying near the properly-docked Going Merry, and frowned at the memory of her being slung over Arlong’s shoulder.

“Oi.”

Glancing up as she tore a hunk of lobster meat in half, Hikari paused at the serious expression on the swordsman’s face.

“Don’t go off fighting on your own.”

The pinkette blinked up at him, confused at this sudden declaration, and Zoro huffed, trying to hide the redness in his ears by taking a fortifying gulp of sake.

“Someone small like you is hard to keep track of. So stay with me.”

Biting onto a smile, Hikari nodded, grabbing another piece of sushi.

“Sure.”

A comfortable silence fell over them, the sake changing hands…

“Zoro! Kari!”

Luffy at least had the wherewithal to Gum Gum Rocket into Hikari rather than a still-healing Zoro, though the key-holder cursed the air blue when she was wrapped up in a rubbery ballistic missile.

“Are you better now? You must be hungry! There’s so much food! Come on, come on-”

Zoro laughed, ignoring the twinge in his chest, as their captain dragged the pair out into the rush of good cheer to find more meat.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rolling up the hem of her thigh-high boots, Hikari glanced up as Usopp lifted a box over the railing with Zoro following not far behind.

“This the last of it?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright!”

“Are you finished loading it all?” Luffy wondered, and the pinkette took one last sweep over the deck before nodding.

“Yeah, that’s all of it.”

“We’ve got lots of provisions now.” Sanji approved, dumping the ash of his cigarette overboard. “We’re good to go.”

“We were only here a few days, but this island’s full of memories, huh?” The sniper mused, and Luffy grinned.

“Yeah!”

Glancing over the side, Hikari quirked a brow at seeing a familiar pair of bounty hunters still on the dock.

“We owe you a lot for everything you’ve done.” Yosaku began, serious. “We’re gonna get back to our profession of bounty hunting again.”

“This is goodbye for now, but we look forward to the day we meet again somewhere.” Johnny finished, stoic.

“Take care.” Zoro agreed, at least a bit proud of them.

“We’re ready to go.” The pinkette reminded them as Momoo rose carefully on their stern-side, almost purring when she pat his soft nose.

“Hey, hold on!” Sanji protested, suddenly looking every which way. “What about Nami-san?”

“Maybe she’s not coming?” Zoro suggested, grabbing the railing as Momoo leaned in carefully to get a good scratch under the chin.

“Why not?!” The cook shouted, before zeroing in on the swordsman. “ _You_! You made another pass at Nami-san again, didn’t you?!”

“Why would I do that?” Zoro retorted, scowling at the thought.

“No, you definitely did! You can’t stand that me and Nami-san and Hikari-hime are all lovey-dovey!”

“I take offense to that statement.” Hikari drawled as Luffy hopped onto Momoo’s head, scratching behind an ear and laughing at the happy vibration suddenly jostling his bones, while a vein pulsed in Zoro’s forehead.

“Are you an idiot?”

“What’d you call me?!” Sanji spat, before whipping around on their captain. “If Nami-san isn’t on the boat, then forty-nine-point-thirty-six percent of my reason for being on the boat is gone!”

“I’m assuming the other forty-nine-point-thirty-six percent is me.” The pinkette deadpanned as Luffy dropped onto her back, chin resting on her mussed ponytail. “Fan-fucking-tastic.”

Movement in the crowd below caught her eye, and the crew gathered to watch as Nami appeared on the outskirts, dressed in a baggy white t-shirt and her usual miniskirt.

“Get the ship moving!” She ordered, taking off at a dead run, and Hikari glared at the hesitation.

“Did that sound like a suggestion? Get the ship moving!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!” Usopp stammered as he rushed off, Sanji noodling after.

“Anything for you and Nami-san, Hikari-hime!”

“For star’s sake, STOP CALLING ME THAT!”

While Zoro lifted the anchor, the pinkette grumbled and unrolled their sails, a strong breeze pulling the Going Merry away from shore.

“Hey, is it okay to leave her like this?” Sanji worried, and Luffy shrugged, smiling.

“Why not? It’s her decision.”

Nami was zig-zagging through the crowd, never once breaking stride amid the confused shouts, and leaped over the ever-widening gap without stumbling on the railing.

Then the navigator lifted her shirt-

Hikari laughed as a fountain of wallets spilled out, and Nami grinned.

“Take care, everyone!”


	7. Loguetown Arc

Reclining in a deck chair, Hikari enjoyed the unimpeded sunlight as a steady breeze filled the sails and the ocean parted easily for the Going Merry’s bow, throwing up a refreshing mist that caused Eisaku to melt with a sigh.

“You raised your price again?”

Glancing up from her book, a compendium on edible flora and fauna in the Grand Line, the pinkette felt a bit sorry for the poor News Coo being berated by Nami.

“Don’t you think your place charges a big much? Raise it again and I’ll stop buying it!”

The bird happily escaped with his payment as Usopp turned from his makeshift chemistry set, Eisaku camouflaging himself to hide from her ire.

“What’s the big deal? It’s just a paper or two.”

“Not when you’re buying it every day!” Nami countered, frowning at the front page.

“There’s no need for you to save up money to buy your village back from Arlong now, you know.” The sniper pointed out, carefully pouring what looked like tabasco sauce into a hollow pellet. “Or to be so obsessive about money.”

“You’re so dumb!” The redhead snapped, nearly startling him into dropping both. “Now that everything’s over, I’m going to earn money for _me_ now! I don’t wanna be some poor pirate who can’t even dress up!”

“Whoa, calm down! I’m in the middle of developing my special Tabasco Star!”

“You don’t have to worry about being a poor pirate, Nami.” Hikari voiced, patting Eisaku’s head with a smile as the other woman frowned at her.

“What do you mean, Kari?”

“I mean that I didn’t end up down for the count just from summoning Aquarius.” She explained, holding up a silver and gold key in one hand. “And there wasn’t anything there but the villager’s valuables when Colonel Nezumi showed up.”

After a moment, Nami’s eyes went wide with stars, and the pinkette grunted when she was suddenly tackled in a hug.

“You stole all of it?! Oh, I knew you were my favorite, Kari-chan!”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome.” Hikari chuckled, patting her crew-mate’s back. “Virgo will keep it safe for you.”

The pair blinked as Luffy flew into an unsuspecting Usopp, sweat-dropping as the sniper took a moment to register the tabasco in his eyes.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

“C’mon, just one!” The straw-hat boy pleaded as Hikari grabbed Usopp by the wrist on his way past and tossed him overboard with a SPLASH, Eisaku peeking out after him.

“AGH!!!”

“No!” Sanji refused, standing protectively in front of the tangerine trees that Nami had brought on-board from Cocoyashi. “This is Nami-san’s tangerine orchard! I won’t let anyone lay a finger on it!”

The pinkette rolled her eyes as Momoo rose on their starboard side, carefully depositing a dazed, soaking Usopp on the deck while Sanji immediately switched to heart-eyes.

“Nami-san, your love security is infallible!”

“Yeah.” Nami agreed, settling into her own lounge chair with newspaper in hand. “Thanks, Sanji-kun.”

“Ol’ Sanji’s letting himself be used.” Zoro noted from where he was reclined against the railing on the stairs, and Hikari bit back a smile as Eisaku scrambled to join him for some peace while she turned to the redhead.

“Hey, what’s the news?”

“Here, you can have the international section.” Nami offered, separating the pages, and both blinked as a smaller sheet slid free.

“A flyer?” Luffy realized, rubber hand snapping out to grab it, and froze at what was printed there.

“Oh, fuck me.” Hikari muttered moments before most of the crew lost their minds.

“We’re wanted criminals now!” The rubber captain cheered, brandishing his brand new wanted poster like a trophy.

“Dead or alive…” Usopp read, amazed. “Thirty million beli?!”

“It says I’m thirty million beli!”

“Look! I’m gonna be seen around the world! Girls might fall for me!”

“What?!” Sanji burst, rushing to take a closer look. “They put long-nose in but left me out?! Where are you?! I don’t see you any-”

BAM!

SMACK!

CRASH!

The three groaned as Hikari caught the wanted poster, studying the picture of her smiling captain with a quirked brow as Zoro snickered at their pain.

“Thirty million...That’s more than Arlong’s, and his was the biggest in East Blue.”

“Once again, you guys don’t understand the seriousness of the situation!” Nami chided as Luffy pulled his head free of a barrel. “This means our lives are in danger now!”

“Not like you can walk into a town now and not expect to have someone call the marines.” Zoro agreed, Eisaku peeking over his shoulder, and Hikari grinned, untroubled.

“Sounds like good target practice.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Alright, Momoo, how’s that feel?”

Shifting in the leather straps looped around his shoulders and testing the ones attached to his horns, the sea-cow nodded in approval, and Hikari smiled.

“Good? Alright, Happy, unbuckle that there first…”

“Hey, Kari!” Luffy called, hanging upside-down from the mast and holding onto his hat with one hand to watch Happy pull a section of leather off the sea creature’s curved horn. “What’re you doing?”

“I’m fitting a harness.” She replied distractedly, marking the notch as she unbuckled a section on Momoo’s chest. “If we ever need to, Momoo can pull the Merry out of danger if he’s hooked up with this. Then I won’t need to call Aquarius as often, right boy?”

The sea-cow nodded proudly, and Zoro slit an eye open from where he was napping on the bow-side stairs as Happy used all his might to push a strap off his shoulder.

“Won’t the leather rot?”

“Not this leather.” Hikari explained with a smile, freeing Momoo from the last buckle and showing the blue sheen to the dark material. “I got it from Aquarius. This stuff won’t get worn down by salt or bloat or rot, and it’s strong enough to take abuse from Sea Kings.”

The pinkette hardly batted an eye when Luffy landed on her back like a true monkey, chin resting on her hair and arms looped loosely around steady shoulders.

“Really? That’s so cool! How’s it work?”

“I’m gonna have Aquarius anchor the ends to the Merry’s hull, here and here.” She continued, gesturing left and right to where the ship’s design began to widen after the figurehead. “And tie it up out of the way, so Momoo can unlatch and put it on himself in an emergency.”

“And catch some fish!” Happy cheered, plopping onto Luffy’s head with a lashing tail and a hungry grin. “We’re gonna catch some fish now, right hime? Please please please-”

“Yeah, fish!” Luffy immediately agreed. “Please please please-”

“Alright, alright!” Hikari conceded, setting aside the leather to grab a couple of fishing rods that had been set aside. “Here-”

Straightening from his slouch, Luffy grinned widely and interlaced his fingers.

“Gum Gum Finger Net!”

Ducking out from under him, Hikari barely avoided being soaked as the rubber boy cackled, flinging up a whole cache of flopping fish onto the deck.

One slapped Zoro in the face, and he came up swinging as Happy hugged a fish with overjoyed tears in his eyes, Hikari dropping her head back with a resigned laugh when Momoo begged for a treat.

“That works, too.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Kari?”

Hikari hummed as the needles clacked in her hands, soft white yarn weaving together under the delicate hooks, and Luffy watched as a shape took form, head tilted like a puppy.

“Yeah?”

“What’s that?”

“Scarf.” She answered simply, eyeing the length even as her hands kept working at a well-practiced pace. “No one brought winter gear, so I’m making some things. Aries’ has the best wool, so she made some yarn for me. Come here.”

Curious, Luffy shuffled closer, blinking when the length was looped over his neck.

“Oh, it’s soft…”

“And durable.” Hikari agreed, straightening the ends with a considering frown. “It’s the same wool she uses in battle, so it should stand up to most things.”

Deciding the length was agreeable, she took the project back to secure the last stitch, pleased.

“I’m thinking a nice yellow. More like this.” The pinkette voiced, tipping up the brim of Luffy’s hat. “Not too bright. What do you think?”

The thought made him grin, nodding, and Hikari carefully folded the scarf into a protective bag.

“Are you gonna make one for Zoro?”

“Probably. Maybe gloves, too. Nami’s going to need a good jacket…”

A sharp clash of blades, and the pair glanced over as Zoro and Pantherlily exchanged blows on the main deck, circling the mast as the Spirit’s Bustermarm spun and twisted to block the single blade trying to break through his guard.

“Oi, you slice up that shirt, I’m not sewing it up again!” Hikari warned when Pantherlily’s next swing came a little too close.

“Sure you’re not!” Zoro shot back, smirking, and ducked under the barrel that was thrown at his head.

“Don’t test me, Roronoa Zoro!”

And Luffy laughed.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leaning into Zoro’s side as he napped against the bow’s starboard-side railing, Hikari ran a hand gently through Kurama’s fur while soaking up the sunlight, slitting an eye open at a change in the rocking of Merry beneath her.

The kitsune-Spirit cocked an ear, and they watched a patchwork ship float past on the port side, the sails made of about ten different kinds of cloth and the hull done in every color of wood with obvious patches.

“Do you think some pirates attacked it?” Luffy wondered from his seat on the railing as the other ship immediately changed course to come back alongside them. “That warship is scrapped…”

“It’s not nice of the Navy to toss its scrapped ships into the ocean.” Usopp agreed, earning a frustrated shout from said ship’s captain.

“This is _not_ a scrapped ship! Do you guys got knotholes for eyes?! Have you forgotten what Iron Fist Fullbody looks like?!”

Zoro slit an eye open at this, more at the noise than anything, as Kurama snickered and slid off Hikari’s lap.

“Oh, you’re that Navy guy from sometime!” Luffy realized, cheerful as ever. “Are you stranded? Want us to help you?”

“Quit fooling around!” The man raged, pride clearly rather battered, and pulled out a now-familiar wanted poster. “Our meeting here spells the end of your luck! Monkey D. Luffy, you’re under arrest!”

“Yeah, that’s a good picture of me, huh?” The rubber boy agreed proudly, and Usopp puffed himself up.

“And of the back of my head!”

“It says ‘dead or alive’.” Fullbody reiterated before jolting his own crew into action. “Aim the turret!”

“Why?” Hikari lamented as the old cannon pointed their way. “It didn’t work last time, so _why_?”

With a shrug, Zoro rose as Luffy hopped off the railing, grinning.

“Alright! Leave it to me! I’ll bounce it back again!”

“Luffy, let me handle this one.” The swordsman suggested, and their captain pouted.

“How come?”

“Because you’re a walking disaster, and I don’t want to drown today.” Hikari drawled as Zoro stepped up moments before the cannon boomed.

Without hesitation, he drew his sword and sliced the cannonball clean in half from its own momentum, both sides sailing past and falling into the water past her harmlessly.

“Don’t bother people when they’re napping.” Zoro warned, sheathing the sharp blade, and Fullbody officially lost it.

“There’s plenty more where that came from! Fire!”

“Huh?” Luffy voiced, the cannon groaning as it was reloaded. “This is bad.”

And then the cannon exploded.

“You guys should really maintain your equipment.” Hikari snarked, amused, and Fullbody almost had a meltdown.

“You brats! Don’t you dare mock the power of a former Navy HQ Lieutenant!”

His ship closed the distance with a CRUNCH, the Lieutenant pointing dramatically.

“We’ll just have to fight you hand-to-hand! Men, follow me!”

All of them froze as a great shadow fell over the Navy warship, slowly turning to see a very grumpy sea-cow towering over them, instantly displeased at his own disturbed nap hanging from the Merry’s hull and the implied threat to his favorite person.

“Do you mind taking out the trash, Momoo?” Hikari asked sweetly, and every marine visibly evacuated his bowels.

Usopp’s jaw hit the deck as the entire tattered warship flew towards the horizon, screams rapidly fading, and the pinkette smiled as Kurama slipped up onto her shoulders, a vulpine grin in place as he rolled a chain of silver over his paws.

“Come on, you guys! Keep it down!” Nami shouted from the aft deck, unaware of what had transpired. “Honestly! I can’t even relax and read a newspaper here!”

“Nami-san! Hikari-hime!” Sanji sang, dancing from the kitchen. “I’m finished preparing your meals!”

“Oh, I’m starving!” Luffy voiced, already forgetting the entire encounter. “Let’s eat! Food! Food!”

Rolling her eyes as the straw-hat captain Gum Gum Rocketed himself to the table, Hikari accepted a sapphire the size of her thumbnail with a quirked brow.

“You’re going to be Nami’s favorite.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Loguetown.

The City of the Beginning and the End, where Gold Roger set out to conquer the Grand Line a lifetime ago and returned after his success to be executed, sparking off a new Pirate Age.

Looking over the bustling port city, Hikari grabbed Luffy by the scruff before he could run off, fixing her crew with a firm glare as Nikora shivered against her neck.

“Remember the plan. We split up to get supplies and meet up at the execution platform at four pm.”

“Why can’t we just figure it out as we go?” Usopp wondered, earning a flat stare.

“Have you met yourselves?”

“Come on, come on!” Luffy whined, not gaining any ground despite his pumping legs. “Let’s _go_!”

“Don’t break anything.” Hikari warned, releasing her rubber captain onto an unsuspecting Loguetown as Usopp cheered.

“Alright! I’m gonna go get equipment for our upcoming great adventure!”

“Looks like I can get some good ingredients here.” Sanji noted, walking off in a different direction in a trail of smoke. “Good women, too!”

“I got something I wanna buy, too.” Zoro voiced, a slow grin taking over Nami’s face.

“Oh? How are you gonna do that? You’re flat broke, as I recall!”

“I’ll handle it.” Hikari cut in, a thumb rubbing over the charm on her keyring as the navigator deflated. “But I’ve got something I wanna do first.”

“Fine.” The swordsman agreed quickly, relieved to not be at Nami’s nonexistent monetary mercy, and Nikora squeaked happily, clambering onto his shoulder.

The streets were crowded with merchants and sailors and happy citizens, every street lined with carts and every building tightly-packed together, from curio shops to pubs to ones that specialized in Transponder Snails, ship tools, and everything else one might need on a voyage.

On the look-out for a specific banner, Hikari paused at certain merchants, haggling them down for thread and delicate needles and gauze and ointments to fill up a small messenger bag that bounced on her hip, which Zoro had expected.

Until they got a ship doctor, she was the closest the crew had, and he knew the pinkette took that very seriously.

Nikora squeaked, and the swordsman quirked a brow as Hikari immediately changed course to a specific storefront.

“A tattoo parlor?”

“Yeah, I want one.” She answered off-handedly, the door releasing a heralding jingle as the key-holder stepped inside with Zoro following, taking in the space quietly.

The shop was rather small, considering how busy the city itself was, with only a single station set up to one side and a scuffed-up reception desk opposite, the walls practically coated in water-colored sketches that were all signed with the same flourish.

A young woman glanced up from the desk, ears full of various hoops and studs and bolts, a colorful water-color wave crashing up her neck and a menagerie of Sea Kings twisting around her arm in a dense sleeve, a lip ring twitching in a welcoming smile.

“Hey, there. What can I do for you?”

“Can you make this?” Hikari wondered, unclipping the fairy charm from her keyring, and Zoro paused, brow furrowing.

“Hm...Yeah, I can do that.” The artist determined, rising onto her heavily-buckled boots and gesturing to her station. “One solid color? Some sort of design inside?”

“Actually…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colors shimmered on the back of Hikari’s right hand, light greens and vibrant reds and shining golds, a stylized fairy alighting on pointed toes with a spade-tipped tail trailing behind.

Zoro considered this as they entered a weapons’ district, the key-holder looking through each window to silently compare prices and quality before moving on, rubbing a thumb over her fresh tattoo like she did the charm.

“What’s it mean?”

Pausing in front of a store that had a rack of swords front and center, Hikari glanced back at him with a quirked brow, Nikora humming curiously.

“You play with that charm when you’re nervous.” He explained gruffly, arms crossed and eyes narrowing. “And now you’ve got it on your hand. What’s it mean?”

Blinking rapidly, Hikari glanced away, mouth twisting with an old pain as she debated whether to answer or not, Nikora whining softly.

“...It reminds me of my mom.” The key-holder admitted, unable to meet his eyes. “She...I miss her, sometimes.”

Running a thumb over the tattoo’s tail, Hikari steadied.

“Do fairies have tails?”

Zoro frowned, absorbing the words, and her mouth tipped into a bittersweet smile.

“My mom used to ask me that, when I was little. Despite all of the amazing things in this world, no one’s ever seen a fairy. It’s a mystery if they even exist, just like the One Piece, or the All Blue, or the true Gate of the Spirit King...So why not go and find out for yourself?”

And that resonated with him, reminded the swordsman of another promise made on the grave of a person gone too soon-

A high-pitched little growl shook both from the moment, turning as one to a break in the crowd nearby where two rough-looking men were confronting a young woman with chin-length dark hair and red glasses holding a long, thin object in a protective covering.

“‘Monster’? How rude!”

“Aw, shut up!” One of the two sword-wielding thugs sneered.

“Our boss is behind bars all thanks him!”

“Have you still not learned your lesson?” She scolded, more annoyed than anything.

“Nope! We ain’t happy with things as they are!”

“We’re gonna bring your corpse to him to see!”

“Very well. I will fight you.”

Hikari started to close the distance, grabbing at a tonfa handle on her belt, and Zoro sighed.

This was Cocoyashi Village all over again.

“ _You_ will, girly?”

“Don’t make us laugh! What can a girl possibly do?”

The pair lunged-

In a single, graceful movement, the woman unsheathed her hidden sword and swung, downing both men in an instant.

Hikari paused, blinking owlishly, and Nikora squeaked in confusion, patting his own cheek as if to check he was awake.

The moment, of course, was almost immediately shattered when the swordswoman straightened and tripped right onto her face, glasses flying.

“Ow!”

“How hard is it to maintain some dignity around here?” Hikari muttered as the swordsman crouched to pick the fallen glasses up, offering them to the dazed woman.

“Hey, are these them?”

Then she looked up, and it was as if Zoro saw a ghost.

CRACK!

“What the hell?!” Hikari yelped as the swordswoman panicked, and he would have flailed if the bent frames were not still in hand.

“I didn’t mean to!”

“Those were expensive!” She lamented, devastated and growing upset. “How could you do something so horrible?!”

“I told you, I didn’t mean to!”

“Pay me back for them!”

“Of course!” Hikari assured, sending Zoro a sharp glance. “I’m so sorry about this. Normally, he’s not the destructive one.”

Discussing the costs, she managed to calm the other woman and send her off with reparations before pinning a studiously-not-looking-at-her Zoro with narrowed eyes.

…

“What?”

“Do you wanna tell me what happened, or are you going to be weird the rest of the day?” The pinkette drawled, unimpressed with his attempt at nonchalance.

Muttering something mutinous, he released a startled little sound when Nikora smacked him upside the head, glaring at both of them.

“Fine! She just...She reminded me of someone I knew.”

“So you broke her glasses?” She pressed, and Zoro scowled fiercely.

“I didn’t mean to do that!”

“Then what’s going on?”

Frustrated, the swordsman glanced around before pulling her into a more secluded alleyway, away from the crowds and prying eyes.

“It’s hard to explain.”

“I tried.”

Releasing a gusty sigh, Zoro focused on a crack in a nearby wall to find the words.

“...In the dojo I trained at as a kid, there was a girl named Kuina.” He began slowly, grip tight on his sword. “In that first year, I challenged her to a fight two thousand times...And I lost every single one. I pushed myself every day to catch up with her. She was my goal. And when I challenged her to a fight with real swords, and she won...Kuina said she could never be the world’s greatest swordsman because she was a girl. So I made her promise to compete to be the world’s greatest swordsman, that we would fight for the title...Kuina died the next day.”

Hikari was quiet, reading his profile, and Zoro gently pulled the katana from his haramaki.

“This sword was hers. On this sword, I swore to become the world’s greatest swordsman.”

“And she reminded you of Kuina.” Hikari realized quietly, subdued.

Silence fell between them for a long moment before she spoke.

“My mom died when I was small.”

Zoro froze, gaze suddenly locked on her downturned face.

“She got sick, and...I didn’t really understand. She tried to hide it, but at the end...At the end, I promised I’d fulfill my dream for both of us.”

Not since that day on the Baratie had he seen tears in her eyes, the dark irises shimmering with faint stars as Hikari managed a smile.

“I’m just trying to make her proud.”

And that was the heart of it, hoping that they were doing things right, two people carrying dreams that had not begun as their own and hoping this was enough...

“Kari! Zoro!”

The swordsman grunted at a high-velocity weight slamming into his back, and Hikari caught him by the chest with a laugh as Luffy popped over his shoulder, grinning.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“We were taking a break, that’s all.” She replied, rubbing at a watery eye, and the rubber boy frowned, stretching an arm to poke her cheek.

“Hey, are you sad, Kari? Did something happen?”

“I’m fine.” The pinkette assured, laughing when Luffy crawled over a grumbling Zoro to drape over her shoulders, nearly unseating Nikora.

“Hey, don’t be upset! There’s lots of cool stuff here! Wanna get lunch? There’s a big restaurant around here-”

Unable to help the smile blooming across her face, Hikari hugged him tight around the waist, giggling when Zoro was unceremoniously reeled to join in by an enthusiastic Luffy.

“Oi! What-?”

The click of a revolver broke the moment, and all three blinked at the scruffy man aiming a flintlock at them, Nikora growling as loudly as he could.

“Alright, lovebirds, hand over all your cash!”

A beat of silence.

“ _LOVEBIRDS_!?!”

The poor sod only had a moment to realize his rather grave error before two fists smashed him into unconsciousness at the same time, and Luffy tilted his head, curious, at the red of Zoro’s ears and the deep pink crawling across Hikari’s face.

“Come on.” She decided, turning back to the bustling street. “We still need to find you swords, right?”

“Oh, right! Zoro needs swords!” Luffy remembered, rushing after her as Zoro grunted, trailing behind with Nikora giggling knowingly.

Hikari managed to wrangle their excitable captain to a few shops, continuing to compare prices as she had been, and ruled out four establishments that Zoro noted were asking thousands of beli for katana that would sooner shatter than last through a single battle, no matter their decorative hilts and extravagant scabbards.

Handing Luffy a ball of yarn that he started batting at rather like a clumsy cat, the pinkette settled on a shop off the beaten path, which the swordsman silently approved of.

This place was fairly simple and bright, with all manner of weapons hanging from the walls and sitting in various cases, with a few barrels of katana off to one side with hilts poking out invitingly.

With the owner fast asleep at the counter, Zoro headed for the nearest barrel while Luffy took off with a laugh, Hikari not far behind.

“Hey, be careful! That’s heavier than you are!”

The door opening suddenly pulled her attention around from prying Luffy out of a decorative suit of armor, and Zoro tensed as the swordswoman swept through, waking the owner rather abruptly.

“Did you finish polishing my Shigure?”

Catching on that she was far from alone in the store, she turned and graced a noticeably-uncomfortable Zoro and a somewhat-concerned Hikari with a smile.

“Oh, hello again! I managed to buy new glasses, thanks to you!”

Her eyes, aided by said glasses, latched onto the white-handled katana hanging from Zoro’s haramaki in surprise.

“Is that the sword Wado Ichimonji?!”

The resulting squeal had Hikari’s ears ringing and Luffy knocking his head against the armor’s chest-plate as the swordswoman whipped out a small, well-worn book.

“It _is_ the Wado Ichimonji! I believe it’s one of the twenty-one O-Wazamono swords! It’s worth no less than ten million beli! But what are _you_ doing with such a legendary sword?”

“Appreciating the history.” Hikari drawled as Nikora hid behind Zoro’s neck, whimpering. “Aren’t you here to pick up your sword?”

“Oh, right!”

Grumbling at his luck, the swordsman continued his perusal, pausing on a well-worn wrapped hilt with a golden cap and matching, almost scaled scabbard.

Pulling it free, he studied the covered blade as the swordswoman pulled off a rather impressive display of clumsiness in surprise.

“That sword! I think it’s…”

Verifying in her little book, the woman squeaked.

“I thought so! Sandai Kitetsu! It’s the Sandai Kitetsu!”

This declaration had the owner freeze up, and Hikari frowned as she tried to free a whining Luffy without damaging the armor he was currently stuck in.

“It’s predecessor, the Nidai Kitetsu, is an O-Wazamono sword, and the Shodai Kitetsu before that is listed as a top O-Wazamono sword!”

“Pretty rich history, for being in a bin.” The pinkette noted, sighing when her captain came free with the helmet stuck on his head. “Really?”

Unsheathing the blade, Zoro visually checked the edge as his unwanted audience turned to the owner.

“Mister, is this sword really fifty thousand beli? Incredible! It’s a respectable Wazamono, you know! That one! You have to choose that one! It normally goes for one million beli!”

“No!” The owner almost shouted, panicked. “I can’t sell it!”

“A cursed sword, huh?”

Zoro’s declaration had the owner choking on his tongue, eyes wide.

“You knew?”

“No.” The swordsman replied simply, checking the straightness of the blade. “I can just tell.”

“Starting with the first one, all the Kitetsu have been superior swords, but every last one is cursed.” The man warned, Nikora shivering noticeably as Luffy paused in removing the helmet with his feet. “Many famous master swordsmen have met tragic deaths after taking up Kitetsu swords. These days, there ain’t a single person who uses a Kitetsu, because you’ll leave this world even if you use them unknowingly! Even I wanna get rid of that thing, but I’m afraid it’ll curse me…”

Spinning the hilt in his hand, Zoro smirked.

“I like it. I’ll take it.”

“Are you a fool?!” The owner sputtered in disbelief. “I can’t sell it! If you die because of it, then it’d be like I killed you myself!”

“Then let’s do this. My luck, and this thing’s curse...Let’s see which one’s stronger.”

“What?” Hikari voiced, eyes going wide when he tossed up this cursed blade in a lazy end-over-end spin. “ZORO!”

Luffy caught her by the waist as the swordsman calmly extended his arm into the now-falling sword’s path, and she could only watch as that razor-sharp edge came far too close-

And rolled, blunt-side first, over Zoro’s elbow to sink into the hardwood to its hilt.

“I’ll take it.”

BAM!

Hikari’s fist managed to knock him upside the head, Luffy giggling as he hung onto her back like a koala.

“ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE!?!” She raged, visibly refraining from strangling Zoro with her bare hands as Nikora clung to his head for stability. “You could’ve lost your arm, you fucking _moron_! What would you’ve done then?!”

“I didn’t.”

“THAT’S NOT THE FUCKING POINT, RORONOA ZORO, _AND YOU KNOW IT_!!!”

Nikora squeaked as a special stand slammed onto the front counter, all eyes turning to the sword being presented.

“The make is black lacquer, and the blade’s temper uneven. The Ryo-Wazamono Yubashiri! My shop may not be much, but this is the finest sword I have! Forget the money, and I don’t need any for the Kitetsu, either. They say the sword chooses the owner. I pray for your good fortune!”

Grumbling as Zoro went to accept his new sword, three once more hanging from his haramaki, the pinkette did not register his pause at something in a little display on the counter that made Nikora squeak excitedly, too busy trying to reassemble the armor Luffy had deconstructed.

“...How much for that?”

“This? It’s just a decorative piece.” The owner explained, piquing Hikari’s curiosity as Luffy popped himself free with a laugh.

“I want it.” The swordsman decided, and the man shrugged easily enough.

“Well, alright. Here you go.”

“Don’t even think about it.” The key-holder warned, and Luffy retracted his rubbery arm from a flail with his best sheepish grin as Zoro approached.

“Here.”

Surprised, Hikari glanced down and froze at the silver key being offered to her on his palm.

“Figured it might not be gold, but-”

The rubber boy blinked when Zoro was abruptly grabbed by the collar and yanked down into a sudden kiss, visibly poleaxed as Hikari accepted the key with a giddy smile.

“Oh stars, this is Canis Major! Thank you!”

“Aw, that looked like a good Kari kiss…” Luffy muttered, a bit disappointed that it was over and wishing he had joined in.

Pausing, Hikari flushed a bright red, and Zoro grunted at a solid smack to the chest.

“Don’t think this makes up for your stunt, idiot!”

“Oi, it worked out, didn’t it?”

“You could have been walking out of here _with a stump_!”

“But I’m not!”

“ _Not the point_!”

Luffy giggled the whole way out of the store, legs wrapping tight around Hikari’s waist as Nikora dropped onto his hat with a shivery squeak.

“Hey, can we have lunch now? Please, Kari? Please please please-”

SMACK!

“Could you think without your stomach for ten seconds?!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Luffy has the attention span of a gnat with dementia.” Hikari grumbled as she scanned the street for their wayward captain, Pantherlily’s reduced form trotting on her heels with Zoro.

“I’m sure he went looking for more food once he caught up to his hat.” The cat-man assured, his deep voice contrasting with his currently-miniature form.

“Shouldn’t have run off in the first place.” Zoro muttered, scowling down alleyways as they passed. “Could get lost in a place like this.”

“Zoro? Kari?”

“Hey, guys.” Hikari greeted when she spotted Nami, Usopp and Sanji, the former weighed down by her own purchases and the latter pair by a massive elephant bluefin tuna. “Have you seen Luffy? He ran off after his hat.”

“Pirates’re here!”

This cry went up through the street like a wave, and Pantherlily gripped the hilt of his shrunken Bustermarm as more followed.

“Pirates’re here!”

“Run!”

“It’s Buggy The Clown!”

“An execution!”

“An execution will start!”

“Buggy The Clown will be executing Straw Hat Luffy!”

“Luffy’s gonna be executed?!” Usopp yelped, and Hikari’s eyes flashed a molten gold.

“Not if I have anything to say about it! Come on!”

“Let’s go!” Zoro barked, Sanji throwing his burden fully onto Usopp as he followed.

“Gate Close.” Hikari bit out, Pantherlily dissolving in her wake as she took a hard right, weaving through the panicked crowd before bursting into the courtyard. “HEY, FUCKWAD!!!”

There was a sound rather like a cat being strangled as she whipped out a golden key.

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM OUR CAPTAIN!!!”

“Kari!” Luffy cheered from where he was pinned by a stockade to the execution platform, grin widening. “Zoro! Sanji!”

“HOLY CRAP, STOP HER!” Buggy shrieked, like he was reliving a nightmare, though his crew seemed equally petrified.

“Open, Gate of the Ram! ARIES!”

“Wool Bomb!”

The foremost pirates were knocked off their feet and enveloped by the soft wool, immediately relaxing, and the next wave wished they met such a benign fate when faced with Hikari’s tonfa, Zoro’s three swords, and Sanji’s vicious kicks.

“ _You_!”

Smacking a charging pirate upside the chin, the pinkette quirked a brow as a familiar purple-haired woman stormed her way, fury coloring her face a deep red.

“I’m not going to lose to you again! I’m going to beat you into the ground, little girl, and take all of your-”

SLAM!

Zoro snickered to himself as Nise flew overhead, landing in the already-decimated remains of a fountain, out cold.

Storm clouds filled the sky, rumbling with thunder, and Buggy chortled hysterically while raising his weapon.

“Not even you can stop me now! This is the end of your captain!”

Cursing, Hikari smashed a poor Buggy Pirate into the cobblestones, pivoting.

“ZORO! THROW ME!”

Twisting to meet her, the swordsman caught her jump on the flat of Yubashiri’s blade, completing the swing as the key-holder pushed off, Aries fading with one last Wool Shot.

“OPEN, GATE OF THE TRES FELIS!”

“Kari! Zoro! Sanji! Nami! Usopp!”

Luffy grinned as the sword started to fall, seconds away from biting into his neck.

“Sorry. I’m dead.”

“HAPPY!”

Lightning flashed, and Buggy’s face was crushed painfully under her tonfa’s extended length before flying through a building, sword almost hanging suspended before clattering to the wooden platform.

“Phew, thanks Kari!” Luffy giggled as she kicked the half-stock open, splinters flying. “I’m lucky you’re on my crew!”

“Damn fucking right.” She growled, yanking him upright to check for injuries as Happy blubbered, a furious rain suddenly falling when she slung the rubber boy over a shoulder. “Can’t let you out of my sight for a _minute_.”

Marines closed in from all sides, starting to block off exits, and Happy beat his wings hard to send them into a dive towards where Zoro and Sanji had cleared a good circle of space.

“Come on!” Hikari shouted over the torrent, hitting the ground running as Happy faded and grabbing onto Zoro’s arm. “Time to go!”

“We’d better hurry back to the ship, or we’ll never be able to leave the island.” Sanji agreed, cigarette already soaked as he raced to keep up. “We won’t be able to enter the Grand Line!”

“What?!” Luffy yelped, suddenly on his feet and leading their charge towards the Going Merry. “That’s not good!”

“You think?!” The pinkette snarked, whipping out a key as Zoro and Sanji knocked aside the few marines trying to block their path. “Open, Gate of the Maiden! VIRGO!”

“Spica Hole!”

The marines cried out as the alley opening gave way to a deep pit, tumbling over the sudden edge into what was quickly becoming a pool, and Virgo bowed as she began to dissolve back through her Gate.

“Good luck, hime.”

“Thanks, Virgo!”

“Which direction is the sea?” Luffy called, head turning every which way. “I can’t tell where we’re going because of this heavy rain!”

“Who’s that lady?!” Sanji swooned instead, and Hikari whipped around with a swear to see a familiar swordswoman standing in their path.

“I didn’t realize you’re Roronoa Zoro, and a pirate to boot. You...You lied to me!”

“What?” Sanji shouted, turning on his crew-mate. “What’d you do to her?!”

“Cool it.” Hikari hissed, yanking the cook back a step as Zoro approached.

“You didn’t ask my name. That’s all. It’s not that I lied to you.”

“A rogue like you can’t be allowed to own a renowned sword!” She claimed with a righteous fury that was, honestly, rather baffling. “I’ll collect your sword, the legendary Wado Ichimonji!”

“Try it.”

Drawing her Shigure, the swordswoman lunged, blade clashing against Wado with a clear note, Zoro not even straining to hold her back.

“You jerk!” Sanji wailed, almost devastated. “How dare you attack a lady?!”

“That _lady_ attacked him first.” Hikari drawled, unimpressed with the entire situation, as said swordswoman scowled.

“Please don’t interfere! This is the fight between Roronoa and me! There’s no need to step in!”

“You heard her.” Zoro agreed calmly. “Go on ahead.”

“And let you get lost in this storm?” Hikari retorted, collapsing her tonfa and hooking the handles to her belt. “Not happening. You guys go.”

“But Hikari-hime-”

Sanji URKed when Luffy hooked an arm around his neck and yanked, grinning.

“Got it! Let’s go!”

“Hey, Zoro!” The cook strangled out as they passed, waving a fist. “If you hurt the lady, I won’t forgive you!”

Rolling her eyes, Hikari turned as a squadron of marines caught up, brow quirking.

“Sergeant Major Tashigi!”

“That’s as far as you go.” She warned, a gold key flashing in her hand. “Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! AQUARIUS!”

“Water Pillar!”

The sailors gurgled out a cry as the slick cobblestones suddenly burst into a geyser beneath their feet, and Aquarius smirked at the ones left behind, knees rattling in her shadow.

Leaving her Spirit to take care of any incoming marines, Hikari refocused on the duel as Zoro drew Yubashiri to go on the offensive.

Almost immediately, even with a handicap, she knew there was no way Tashigi could win.

Yes, she was quick on her feet and smart enough to keep moving, but she had no real counter for Zoro’s superior reach or strength, and was far too angry to play to her own strengths.

Hikari would have used her smaller size and greater speed for a series of quick, distracting strikes to vulnerable points, wear him down, but Tashigi instead tried to force her way through with brute force.

It was no wonder that she was easily knocked back, hitting a wall and losing her sword in a single clash.

“I can’t let you have _this_ sword no matter what.” Zoro informed her, sheathing Wado and Yubashiri. “Well then, we’re in a hurry, so…”

Aquarius glanced back, amused, and pat Hikari’s sodden ponytail as she disappeared.

“Careful, brat.”

With a nod, the pinkette trotted after as Zoro continued down the street, boots sloshing through the half-drowned stones as water flooded from overflowing grates.

“Why aren’t you finishing me off?!” Tashigi demanded, outraged and pride clearly wounded at what she saw as a dismissal. “Is it because I’m a woman?!”

This brought Zoro up short, and Hikari’s gaze slid back, annoyed.

“It’s humiliating that you won’t fight seriously in a game played in earnest just because men’re physically stronger than women! I’m sure you don’t understand the feeling that I wish I was born a boy! I don’t carry a sword for pleasure!”

“I don’t like your very being!” Zoro snapped, whirling to face this infuriating woman. “Listen! Your face, it looks exactly like my close friend’s who died long ago! On top of that, you started saying the same thing she used to say! Don’t imitate, you copycat woman!”

“Yeah, this is a mature way to handle the situation…” Hikari muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose with a sigh.

“What?! Stop talking like a child! You’re rude!”

Tashigi squeaked when her tirade was cut off by a firm shove to the shoulder, scrambling back a few steps at the fierce glare in Hikari’s molten eyes.

“Excuse you!” The key-holder bit out, startling Zoro with her sudden aggression. “Who’re you calling a child? You’re the one running around deciding who’s good and who’s bad, as if the world is black and white! And what makes _you_ in the right, trying to steal other people’s property?”

Tashigi sputtered, caught off-guard, as Hikari pressed her back a few more paces.

“And don’t go blaming your weakness on being a woman! You want to be taken seriously as a warrior? Then you bleed for it! You train until you can’t even stand, and then you keep going! What kind of fucking _excuse_ is that, being born a woman?! The difference between you and me is fucking conviction! Do you wanna be strong or not?!”

An eerie stillness fell over the street, storm suddenly silent, and Hikari felt a prickle all the way down her spine.

A sudden onrush of air crashed into them like a tidal wave, sending everyone flying off their feet, the pair of pirates tumbling to a stop at the docks, a storefront shattered under their landing.

“What just happened?” Luffy wondered as he sat up from a nearby pile of rubble, Usopp flopping over from his precarious balancing act on some displaced sacks of grain.

“We’d better hurry up, or the ship will be swept away!” Sanji warned, pointing out to sea where the Going Merry bobbed dangerously in furious waters with only Nami on deck, Momoo appearing under the hull in flashes as he attempted to steady the caravel.

“Okay!”

When Luffy began to run in the opposite direction, Hikari knew exactly what was going to happen and pulled out a silver key.

“Open, Gate of the Tres Felis!”

“Gum Gum-”

“PANTHERLILY!”

“-Rocket!”

Zoro yelped when he was suddenly lifted by the waist, a heavy downward stroke lifting him clear of their captain’s ballistic path, and Pantherlily snickered as he followed in his wake with both key-holder and swordsman in tow to land much more gently on the deck.

“Kari! Zoro!” Nami shouted, relieved, before pointing out to an amorphous beam barely visible in the tumultuous storm. “Look at that light! It’s a ‘guiding light’! The entrance to the Grand Line lies ahead of that light!”

“The Grand Line is ahead of that light…” Luffy realized, pressing a hand to his straw hat.

“What do you wanna do?” Hikari wondered, leaning against the railing as Pantherlily settled on her shoulder. “Go now, or wait until the storm’s over?”

Judging by his grin, she doubted the rubber boy could wait that long.

“Okay, then! Shall we hold a launching ceremony for setting sail on the great ocean?” Sanji offered, agreement rising from the crew as a placed a foot on a nearby barrel.

“In order to find the All Blue!”

“In order to be Pirate King!” Luffy shouted, his own sandalled foot smacking into place.

“In order to collect all twelve Zodiac keys!” Hikari added, her boot landing next to his as Pantherlily cheered.

“In order to become a master swordsman!” Zoro voiced, joining them, and Nami grinned before following their example.

“In order to draw a world map!”

“In order…”

Gathering his courage, Usopp slammed his foot onto the barrel, trembling.

“To become a brave warrior of the sea!”

In that moment, unspoken as it was, all of them vowed to fulfill their dreams.

And Luffy grinned.

“We’re going to the Grand Line!”


	8. Laboon Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Thanks to work (which will be absolutely crazy the next two weeks), these are probably the last two chapters I'll put up this year. They're both shorter, like Loguetown, so I hope both are enough to tide you all over to the new year!
> 
> Happy Holidays!  
> DragonPrincess18

“I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits. And now, I beckon you to my side at once! Pass through the Gate! Open, Gate of Canis Major! MORO!”

Usopp went very pale, pupils shrinking to pinpricks, as a massive _beast_ of a wolf stepped onto the Going Merry’s deck, at least twelve feet tall at the shoulder and covered from black nose to twin tails in shaggy white fur, eyes a deep gold and amused at the high-pitched keen the sniper released.

“Dog!” Luffy cheered, and the Spirit’s ear twitched when he latched onto her furry chest in a hug, burrowing into the thick pelt with a happy giggle. “Soft!”

“It’s been many years since I’ve been summoned aboard a ship.” Moro noted, voice feminine but deep. “There’s certainly a lack of blood and screaming.”

“I can’t promise there never will be, but you’ll be seeing plenty of us without a battle going on.” Hikari replied, and Luffy snickered at the tickle that spread through his bones as Moro chuckled.

“Rest assured that the cats have spoken highly enough of you for none of us to worry about such a fate.”

“Of course!” Sanji swooned, smoke leaving his cigarette in the shape of hearts. “Hikari-hime’s pure heart resonates between our worlds like the singing of angels!”

“I’ve told you to stop calling me that!” The pinkette snapped, smacking a fist into his gut, but it did nothing to dissuade the cook’s affections.

Peeking over the railing, Momoo rumbled a hello, and Moro’s lips pulled up in a wolfish grin.

“Don’t worry, bovine. I make it a point not to eat my key-holder’s comrades.”

“W-We really appreciate that…” Usopp stammered from where he was hiding behind Zoro, who was strangely proud that the key he stumbled upon had such an intimidating Spirit.

“What’s your specialty?” Nami wondered, looking up from her maps with a frown. “Kurama’s a thief and spy, Eisaku’s a messenger, Happy’s a flyer…”

“I’m a hunter.” Moro answered simply, just a hint of fangs visible in her smile. “Whether I’m hunting deer or humans is up to my hime.”

Usopp squealed in a note only audible to canines as Hikari sighed, resignedly annoyed.

“Please don’t call me that.”

The two-tailed wolf-Spirit snickered, ears twitching before her golden eyes turned to the horizon.

“There’s a storm coming.”

All eyes turned to see a gathering of dark clouds on the edge of a blue sky, and Nami nodded, rechecking the map in her hands.

“We should be seeing the Red Line at any time now…”

“What’s up, Nami?” Hikari wondered, running a hand over Moro’s thick fur as their navigator sighed, leading them into the kitchen.

“Look at this.”

Map spread over the table, she pointed as the crew settled at the table, Luffy still clinging to Moro as she carefully wiggled through the doorway, much to Usopp horror while he clung to the ram-headed rudder.

“I’d heard the rumors about it, and it’s drawn on this map, too. If it really is true, then the entrance to the Grand Line is a mountain.”

“A mountain?” Sanji echoed, ignoring Usopp’s yelp as he was whipped around by the rudder.

“We gotta crash into a mountain?” Luffy wondered, half-hidden against Moro’s chest as the Spirit laid down across the floor.

“You can’t be serious.” Zoro muttered, leaning on an elbow.

“I didn’t believe it myself, but the map has canals that lead to the mountain. That might mean we have to go up it!”

“Neat!” The rubber captain decreed, though Zoro was less accepting.

“What’re you talking about? Even if there _are_ canals or whatever, a ship can’t climb up a mountain!”

“Just like Devil’s Fruits are stories and key-holders are a myth?” Hikari wondered innocently, leaning against Moro’s side as the wolf-Spirit snickered.

“That’s not the same!”

“But that’s what the map says!” Nami insisted, frustrated.

“Yeah!” Sanji agreed vehemently, glaring at the swordsman. “Nami-san would never say anything that’s wrong!”

“You stole that map from Buggy, right?” Zoro pointed out, unconvinced. “Can we really trust it?”

“Hey!” Usopp shouted, straining hard. “Someone help with the rudder!”

“Oi, chill out.” Hikari assured, grabbing onto the mini-Merry head and pulling-

The pinkette paused at a genuine resistance against her palm, fingers curling in tight to budge the rudder from its tight position, and Moro lifted her head from licking a giggling Luffy’s face.

“Huh.”

“Doesn’t this current seem a bit strong?” The sniper asked, red-faced from exertion, and Nami snapped upright.

“Usopp! What did you just say?”

“Doesn’t this current seem a bit strong?”

“Current...That’s it!”

“That’s what?” Luffy wondered, glancing over from where he was splaying his palm against the pad of Moro’s paw.

“They really do go up a mountain! See? The guiding light was definitely pointing to here on the Red Line. Reverse Mountain!” The navigator explained, gesturing to her map excitedly. “See these canals here? If major currents from the four oceans all flow towards this mountain, then the four currents would go up these canals, collide at the top, and then flow into the Grand Line. Reverse Mountain is a ‘winter island’, so any currents that collide into the Red Line will plummet from the surface into the depths. If we screw up and miss the entrance to the canal...The Going Merry will run smack into the Red Line’s rockface and get wrecked, and then _we’d_ be at the bottom of the ocean. Understand?”

“...So, basically, it’s a mystery mountain!” Luffy concluded, Moro snickering as Hikari fixed him with a deadpan stare.

“I’d hit you if that wasn’t technically accurate.”

“Anyway, now that we’re on this current, as long as we don’t mess up with the rudder, we should be able to go straight to the summit of Reverse Mountain.” Nami concluded, pleased, and the pinkette nodded in agreement.

“We have Momoo to help with steering, too, and if anything goes wrong, I can get Aquarius here.”

“Nami-san! Hikari-hime!” Sanji praised, heart-eye pulsing and smoke-rings turning into hearts. “You’re so amazing!”

Moro smirked at the annoyed expression on her key-holder’s face as Zoro grumbled.

“I’ve _never_ heard of ships going over mountains before.”

“I’ve heard some stuff before.” Sanji admitted, tapping his ash into a nearby tray. “I heard that half of everyone who heads to the Grand Line dies before entering it. I knew getting in wouldn’t be easy.”

“Things that are worth doing hardly ever are.” The wolf-Spirit agreed as Luffy played with her paw, ears twitching when rain began to patter outside.

“Sanji-kun, could you get the sail?”

“Yes, Nami-san!”

“Luffy, help out! And Kari-chan, you can let the rudder go.”

With a shrug, Hikari released the rudder and whipped Usopp into Moro’s fluffy side when it snapped back into place, the wolf-Spirit barely even feeling the impact.

“Hey!” Luffy shouted from outside, excitement growing. “I see the mystery island!”

“WHAT!?!”

Rushing out, Hikari shielded her eyes from the downpour and took in the veritable wall of stone coming through the fog, gaze trailing up and unable to find a peak.

“That’s insanely huge!” Usopp wailed as Nami flipped up the hood of her raincoat to join them. “I can’t see the top because of the clouds!”

“There’s no climbing _that_ , even without a ship.” The pinkette agreed, stumbling as the Going Merry jerked under their feet.

“We’re getting sucked in!” Luffy warned, bobbing like a yoyo from the mast, as Momoo cried out in surprise, diving to retrieve his harness.

“Hold the rudder good!” Nami ordered, Usopp and Sanji scrambling to do just that.

“We’re on it!”

“Gate Close!” Hikari ordered, sending Moro back through her Gate as the weather and current worsened. “Luffy, get down from there! Before your dumb ass falls and drowns!”

“Nami, where’s the entrance?” Luffy called back, apparently ignoring her warning, and she growled in annoyance. “We’re gonna crash into the rocks if we keep going this way!”

“Nami, what do we do?!” Usopp worried, struggling with the rudder even as Momoo helped keep them steady.

“Keep going straight ahead!”

“Are you serious?!”

“Just do it!”

Luffy swung loose, landing on Hikari’s shoulders, and she clamped a hand on his shoulder as Zoro pulled out their binoculars to take a closer look.

“This can’t be for real! The damn ocean really _is_ flowing up the mountain!”

“And if we’re not careful, we’ll be ramming _into_ it!” Hikari reminded them, turning to the sea-cow fighting the currents ahead. “Momoo, pull us more starboard! Right up that canal! I know you can do it!”

Eyes tearing up at the faith being placed in him, the sea-cow gathered all his impressive strength into fighting the current, the Going Merry following in his wake towards the stone gate that framed the canal rushing up the mountainside.

Gold key pressing tight to her palm, Hikari watched with the rest of her crew as the gate drew nearer, the water jostling them roughly, and Nami worried her lip at how close they were on the port side-

With a furious cry, Momoo wrenched them starboard, clearing the pillars with feet to spare, and Luffy cheered.

“We made it!”

“You did it, Momoo!” Hikari praised, unable to see the tears streaming down the sea-cow’s face in joy as he was rocketed up the mountain ahead of the Merry.

“Now it’s just a straight shot to the summit!” Nami voiced, adrenaline high, and Luffy straightened immediately on the pinkette’s shoulders.

“I wanna see! I wanna see!”

The rain fell away behind them, lost below the clouds that fell over the crew like ethereal smoke, breath held tight in anticipation…

“Look! The summit! It’s the summit!”

Water sprayed as the four currents collided, throwing rainbows in every direction against a clear blue sky, and Momoo squeaked as he was launched with the Going Merry into open air.

“YAHOO!”

Grabbing onto Hikari, Zoro hung onto the railing before all three could be flung off the deck, already zooming back down Reverse Mountain in Momoo’s wake at speeds most ships would never hope to reach.

“I see it!” Luffy shouted, grip tight on the pinkette’s shoulders and eyes shining with stars as he looked over the clouds to the ocean before them. “This is the greatest sea in the world! The Grand Line! The One Piece is up ahead somewhere!”

Hitting the clouds below shrouded all of them in white once more, thicker than any fog, the walls of rock on either side disappearing as the rush of water muted to background noise, and Momoo was half-lost, only the green spots on his back and tail even partially visible.

But then...

Hikari twitched, her back pressing tight to Zoro’s chest, and Luffy glanced down as her head tilted just so.

“What is it, Kari?”

“It sounds like...a whale?”

A dark mass began to appear through the clouds, looming from below, and Sanji perked up from where he was holding onto the rigging.

“Nami-san, I see a mountain up ahead!”

“A mountain?” The navigator echoed, surprised. “That can’t be!”

“Then what’s that?” Hikari asked, Aquarius’ key pressing an imprint into her palm as Momoo rumbled in confusion.

“After passing the Twin Capes up ahead, there should be nothing but ocean!”

Breaking through into clear air, everyone’s eyes widened at the veritable wall blocking their only exit into the Grand Line as it roared to the heavens.

“Momoo, hit the brakes!” Hikari ordered, the sea-cow immediately backpedaling into the Merry’s bow and swimming hard in reverse. “Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! AQUARIUS!”

The mermaid-Spirit swept both hands forward in a controlled arc, frowning in concentration as the current stuttered, swirling back around rather than give in to gravity.

Momoo squeaked when he was gently cushioned by the once-raging waters, confused, as the Going Merry slowed, bobbing out onto open water by the end.

“Thanks, Aquarius.” The crew voiced, relieved, and Hikari blinked at the lack of reply, glancing up with a concerned frown.

But Aquarius was studying the gargantuan, nose-scarred whale that had settled before them, dark blue eyes curious and almost hopeful.

“Is that…?”

Expression lighting up, the Celestial Spirit floated up towards this behemoth, urn tucked against her hip.

“Laboon! Laboon, is that you?”

“What is she doing?!” Nami hissed as the wall of blackish flesh shifted, revealing a dark eye many times bigger than their ship.

“I think...I think she knows him.” Hikari admitted as a deep, reverberating noise rippled over them from the whale called Laboon, almost small given his size and somewhat disbelieving.

“It _is_ you!” Aquarius cheered, patting the scarred skin tenderly. “Oh, Laboon, what happened?”

Then, to everyone’s great surprise, the whale began to cry.

“Hey now, it’s alright...I’m here, Laboon, I’m here…”

Each tear could have easily drowned the Going Merry, and Momoo immediately pulled them out of range as Aquarius cooed comfort, revealing an almost motherly side that most of the crew had never seen before while the whale shuddered with sobs.

“I’m sorry, Laboon, I’m sorry it took so long for me to see you again…”

“What’s going on out here?”

A door opened in Laboon’s side, and Luffy tilted his head as a tiny island floated out, a small house and a palm tree sitting atop it.

The man standing on said island was thickset and balding, with long white hair under the purple-and-yellow petals circling his head, and tiny glasses perched on his nose.

“There you are, you old bastard!” Aquarius greeted, and his rather severe expression melted away in surprise. “Still watching the lighthouse after all these years, I see.”

“Never expected to see your ugly mug again, fish.”

The man’s gaze turned to the Going Merry, somber.

“Though it doesn’t surprise me you have a new key-holder.”

“Hi.” Hikari piped up, waving awkwardly from underneath a watchful Luffy while Zoro still had her folded against his chest. “It’s, uh, nice to meet you? I guess?”

“Crocus, Laboon, this is my key-holder, Hikari.” Aquarius introduced, tail twisting into an almost sitting position as she floated by Laboon’s eye. “And these are old friends of mine, brat, from the last time a key-holder of mine entered the Grand Line.”

“You’ve been here before, too?!” Luffy burst, pouting as he leaned over Hikari’s head, and missed the sudden furtive flicker in her gaze.

“Yes, and other times besides.” The mermaid-Spirit replied, nostalgic smile fading a touch. “But that key-holder...He didn’t last long in these waters.”

“How about you start at the beginning?” Zoro suggested, and Crocus sat heavily in his chair, preparing himself mentally.

“Laboon here is the world’s largest whale, called the Island Whale, which live only in the West Blue. One day, while I was on duty as the lighthouse keeper as usual, some good-natured pirates came down Reverse Mountain and entered the Grand Line. And a small whale came in as well, as if following them. That was Laboon.”

“My key-holder was a crew-member on that ship, the Rumbar Pirates.” Aquarius elaborated, smoothing a hand over Laboon’s snout. “We travelled with him when he was a baby, and he followed us over Reverse Mountain despite being told to stay behind. We were his pod.”

“Since their ship had broken down, they stayed at the cape for several months, so we became quite good friends.” Crocus continued, leaning back. “Because of that, on the day of their departure, they asked me to care for Laboon for two or three years until they returned...That was fifty long years ago.”

“Laboon has been waiting for those guys for _fifty years_?” Usopp voiced, horrified, and Nami’s gaze drifted to the deep scars across said whale’s forehead and snout.

“Is that why he howls at the Red Line?”

“Yes.”

“What happened?” Hikari wondered, and Aquarius sighed, leaning into Laboon’s water-slick hide.

“For the most part, the journey went well. We were going island to island, exploring, until...One day, while returning to the ship, some of the men fell sick. To spare those that didn’t, the sick crew split off and headed back so the others could continue to travel.”

“Did they make it?” Sanji wondered, frowning around his cigarette as Crocus glanced up, surprised.

“I never knew. My key-holder was not one of the infected, so he stayed in the Grand Line.”

“They tried to leave through the Calm Belt.” Crocus informed them, expression grim, and Hikari jolted.

“What?!”

“The Calm Belt?” Luffy parroted, noticing how horror-struck the Spirit was at this revelation.

“It’s the strips of ocean that border the Grand Line on either side.” Nami explained, a bit pale. “No one knows why, but there aren’t any currents or winds there...and it’s where Sea Kings live.”

Even Zoro got a chill down his spine at the thought.

“Sick as they were, they would have been killed almost instantly…” Aquarius realized, pained.

“Why not come back here?” Sanji wondered, and Hikari frowned.

“They might have been too far out, and the journey was too dangerous to try over what must have seemed a safer route…And the others…”

“The others died as well.” Aquarius admitted, tail twisting with agitation. “They were ambushed by rival pirates, and I was injured badly enough to return to the Celestial Spirit World...I felt him pass not long after.”

“You could feel that?” Zoro realized, wondering if it might have been more merciful to not know.

“With a strong enough bond, Celestial Spirits can gain an almost telepathic bond with their key-holders through their keys.” Hikari explained, and Usopp blubbered inelegantly, accepting a handkerchief from the pinkette gratefully.

“That’s so sad…He’s been waiting here, and they’re not coming back…”

“Why haven’t you told him?” Nami hiccuped, dabbing at her own eyes as Momoo burst into tears. “He can understand what people say, right?”

“I did.” Crocus acknowledged quietly. “I told him everything. It’s since then that he started howling at Reverse Mountain, and that he started slamming his body against the Red Line. It’s as if he’s insisting that they’ll come back from the other side of that wall anytime now...What a whale. When there’s no point in waiting, he refuses my words because if he accepts them, it means that there is no point in waiting. He’s afraid of that more than anything.”

There was a squeaked-out URK, and Zoro blinked as Hikari caught Luffy around the neck before he could jump off her back, unimpressed.

“Touch that mast, and I’ll tie you into so many knots you’ll shit like a rabbit for weeks.”

Laughter bubbled up at their rubbery captain’s antics, breaking through the melancholy mood-

A pained cry rent the air like a cannon-shot, Laboon jerking violently and making the ocean come alive in a furious frothing mess of waves, and Momoo yelped in surprise as he tried to steady the Merry with his flippers.

“What’s happening?!” Nami shrieked, grabbing onto a panicking Usopp to keep from being thrown off her feet.

The Island Whale gagged, coughing up smoke, and Aquarius focused all her considerable power while swinging the urn clutched in both hands.

“SPIT IT OUT!!!”

An echoing gurgle, a heavy swishing sound, and Laboon released an eruption of water from his blowhole like a geyser, sagging in relief.

“Did he get backed up or something?” Zoro groused, sitting up from his sprawl on the deck with Hikari and Luffy on his lap.

Blinking as two dark spots appeared in the blue sky overhead, the pinkette noticed the faintest sound of…

“Something like that.”

And then two people fell, screaming, into the ocean.

“...I’m not getting them.”

Rolling her eyes, Aquarius crooked a finger and sent the waterlogged humans flying with a SPLAT onto the deck, and the key-holder held up a thumbs-up without looking.

“You’re the best, Aquarius.”

“You thugs’re still around?” Crocus bit out, standing to glare at the blue-haired young woman and red-haired, crown-wearing man as they staggered upright. “Don’t make me say this yet again! I won’t let you lay a finger on Laboon as long as I’m alive!”

Sanji might have been pretty-woman blind, but Zoro immediately sensed the change as Hikari’s expression turned icy-cold and Luffy went utterly blank, not even the hint of a smile visible.

“Even if you say so, we can’t leave.” The woman declared, rising with a frankly _massive_ gun in hand, the mouth still smoking from a recent discharge.

“Taking down this whale is our mission.” Her partner agreed, pinky held out pompously as they took aim at Laboon’s side-door. “We won’t let you interfere with our whale-hunting this time! Let’s go, baby!”

Metal screeched, and the pair of would-be hunters blinked at the useless hunks of once-guns in their hands as Hikari released the barrels, pupils flickering into slits in the molten gold of her eyes.

“If you so much as look at that poor whale wrong, _I’ll string you up on the mast by your intestines_.”

Zoro quirked a brow when the pair fell over, stiff as boards, and could not help the thought of ‘ _yeah, that’s our girl_ ’ that immediately has his ears burning and shoving it into a little box where such things seemed to go nowadays.

“Pathetic.” The pinkette scoffed, and Luffy snickered as he poked the man’s nine-marked cheeks, leaving Sanji to fuss over the woman while Usopp tried to breath and Nami muttered about how scary she was. “Laboon!”

Said whale turned a baleful eye on her, still teary, and Aquarius pressed a hand to his cheek in comfort.

“I know you’ve been waiting a long time, but I’m going to ask you to wait a little longer, because we’re going to come back here once we’ve traveled the Grand Line.”

This caused a quiet to fall over the crew as Luffy straightened, gaze fixed on her back.

“You’re Aquarius’ nakama, right?” Hikari continued, resolute. “That means you’re my nakama, too, and I never abandon nakama.”

The mermaid-Spirit pressed a hand to her mouth, eyes shining, as Laboon shifted carefully in the water to face her.

“So I’ll bring Aquarius to you again. I promise, on every key I have and every key I gain after today, that we will be back.”

...

A smile broke across his gargantuan mouth as Laboon reared back to release a happy roar that shook the heavens, and Luffy grinned, hopping onto her shoulders despite Hikari’s annoyance.

“Kari’s a really good person!”

“Oi, don’t push your luck!”

“Usopp, bring out the paint!”

“What?” The sniper voiced, blinking owlishly. “What for?”

“Because he said so! Move it!”

“EEP!”

“Hikari-hime, you’re beautiful in your fury!”

BAM!

“STOP CALLING ME THAT!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Washing her hands off in the waves that crashed against the Red Line, Hikari absorbed their work with a pleased smile.

On Laboon’s snout was their only-slightly-lopsided Jolly Roger, drying in the warm sunlight, and Luffy set aside his massive paintbrush, oblivious to the yellow and white splotches all over him.

“This is a symbol of our promise to come back. Until we do, don’t remove that mark by hitting your head. Got that?”

Laboon let out a happy sound of agreement, and Momoo pat his shoulder, chatting with his new aquatic friend as Hikari shook saltwater off her hands.

“Come on, Luffy, let’s get cleaned up.”

“Aw, but Kari-”

Grabbing her captain by the shoulder, the pinkette dragged him back towards the Going Merry, stepping around where Zoro was napping by the railing and Usopp was fussing over his painting supplies.

The bathroom, a tiny room hidden away behind their storage space, was empty when they arrived, and Hikari went about forcing the rubber boy to at least rinse off the paint so she could clean his clothes before anything set.

Purposely not looking down, the key-holder shoved him into the shower with a glare, cheeks going pink as she ran water over his paint-smeared vest.

“Wash behind your ears.”

“Aw, come on-”

“You’re starting to grow mushrooms back there! Wash!”

Luffy whined, but did as he was told, scrubbing with a pout while Hikari wrung out his vest and put it up to dry next to his thankfully-paint-free hat.

“Can I come out now?” The rubber boy moaned, eyes puppy-dog pathetic, and Hikari sighed, rubbing at a stubborn patch on his shorts.

“Grab a towel, you menace.”

With a cheer, Luffy hopped out without worry over his nude state to retrieve one, and she took the opportunity to escape into the boy’s mess of a room to grab a change of clothes.

“Next time I go in there, everything on the floor is getting tossed overboard!” The pinkette warned, and Luffy laughed after rubbing his hair into messy spikes, pulling on the fresh vest and shorts while retrieving his hat at a run out the door.

“Okay, Kari!”

Shaking off a smile, she stripped off her shoulder-baring white crop top and dark grey leggings to soak in the sink, using a damp cloth to clean the leather of her boots and grateful for how easily the paint came free of the Spirit-resilient material.

Once sure everything was at least safe, Hikari released her ponytail and stepped into the warm shower with a sigh, letting the spray dampen every curl-

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Snapping to attention, the key-holder slammed the water off and grabbed a towel on her run out the door, barely pulling it on as she came out onto the deck and vaulted the railing-

“Kari-chan!” Nami squeaked while Sanji fell over in a massive spray of blood and Usopp toppled trying to catch him, utterly unharmed and decidedly _not_ under attack, if the table full of food was any indication. “Why aren’t you wearing clothes?!”

“Because I thought you were dying!” She snapped back, grabbing hold by her cleavage to keep the towel from falling. “And I was taking a shower! Why were you screaming?!”

“Because the compass is broken! It doesn’t point in any direction!”

“SO YOU SCREAMED LIKE YOU WERE DYING?!”

“Here, Kari!” Luffy voiced, holding out his unbuttoned vest with a grin. “You can wear this!”

Face warm, she mumbled a thanks and accepted the offer almost shyly, and Zoro moved to act like a shield so the pinkette could dress without being peeked on, glaring as Sanji went from blood-loss-coma to furious-flaming-jealous.

“Looks like you guys came here with no knowledge.” Crocus noted, turning from watching Momoo climb up onto Laboon’s head to hug the Island Whale. “For heaven’s sake, did you come here to die?”

“Not particularly, but with every passing moment…” Hikari muttered, leaving the top two buttons undone so the hem stayed at a semi-decent length near her upper thighs rather than try to strain further over her breasts and rise as a result.

“I thought I told you that common sense is useless in this sea. It’s not that the compass is broken.”

“Then could it be that the magnetic fields are…” Nami wondered, eyes widening in surprise.

"That's right. The islands in the Grand Line contain lots of magnetic minerals. Because of that, they're causing abnormalities throughout the Grand Line. Furthermore, the current and the winds don't have constancy. If you're a navigator, you should know how scary that is."

"It's true that if we don't have a way of knowing our direction, it's hopeless." The redhead agreed, smiling sheepishly as everyone stared. "I didn't know! Oh well…"

"Oi!" Zoro snapped as Usopp began to flail.

"Hey, that's bad! Are we gonna be okay?!"

"How did you not know?!" Hikari demanded, frustrated by this whole situation. "There's a reason the Grand Line is so varied! Did you think the islands were locked into seasons for shits and giggles?!"

"You knew?!" Nami realized, surprised. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU KNEW!!!"

"Yummy!"

"PAY ATTENTION!!!" The pinkette snarled, smashing a fist into Luffy's chomping mouth.

"You need a Log Pose to travel around the Grand Line." Crocus explained, amused at their antics. "It's a special compass that can record magnetism."

"Hey, isn't the funny penguin a compass?" Luffy wondered, rocking on his heels.

"Pyxus!" Nami remembered, eyes shining. "He's an infallible compass! He should still work!"

"And he does." Hikari agreed, expression thoroughly unimpressed. "Too bad you have no idea which direction the next island's in."

…

Nami deflated, almost in years.

"Why can't you give me some hope?"

"Why am I not wearing a bra?" The pinkette reminded her, immensely annoyed, and rolled her eyes as Sanji slapped a hand over his gushing nose and Zoro’s ears burned.

"Is it a strange-looking compass?" Luffy asked, and Crocus quirked a brow at the rubber captain's seeming obliviousness.

"Yeah, it's shape is unusual."

"Is it something like this?"

Zoro blinked at the glass sphere attached to a leather wristband that was held up for their elder's inspection, noting the needle hanging at its center.

"Yeah, that's it. Without the Log Pose, it's impossible to travel in the Grand Line."

"I see…" Nami mused, before her fist landed square in the straw-hat-boy's face. "How come _you_ have one?!"

"This is something that those two weirdos dropped on the ship." He explained, pouting when Hikari plucked the device from his grip, frowning.

"Really? When?"

"When they left."

"They _left_?!" The pinkette snapped, Usopp diving to hide behind Zoro. "When?!"

"A while ago."

As Hikari strangled the importance of _keeping an eye on prisoners_ into their captain, Nami studied the Log Pose closely.

"There's no dial face."

"It's known that the magnetism of islands in the Grand Line follow a certain rule." Crocus explained, Momoo watching the humans curiously from his perch on Laboon's head. "That is, by recording the magnetism of two islands pulling against each other, you can find the route to the next island. Since you can't even figure out its location in this sea, the magnetism record of the Log Pose is the only thing you can depend on. At first, you can pick out one of the seven magnetisms produced by Reverse Mountain, but no matter which island you start with, those magnetisms will eventually pull against each other and link themselves to one route. And the name of the island at the end of the route is...Raftel. It's the last point on the Grand Line. The only one in history who confirmed that island is the Pirate King. It's a legendary island."

"Then the One Piece is there?" Usopp theorized, excited by the thought as Hikari finally released her noodle-limbed prey.

"Who knows? That's the most prominent theory, but no one has been able to reach there."

"We'll know once we get there." Luffy swore, not at all daunted. "Now that I'm done eating, can we get ready?"

"DID YOU EAT THIS ALL BY YOURSELF!?!" Sanji roared, finding his extensive spread of food long gone down their Captain's insatiable gullet.

"Wow, even the bones are gone!" Usopp realized, bug-eyed, as Sanji raged.

"You damn rubber man! I wanted Nami-san and Hikari-hime to eat more!"

The cook's foot slammed into Luffy's chest, and Zoro watched, frozen in shock, as his passage was just in time to perfectly shatter the glass of the Log Pose attached to Nami's wrist.

"...Kari?"

Both Sanji and Luffy froze at the deadly aura that rose up beside them, the swordsman watching as the pair was sent flailing a good half-mile out into the ocean.

"COOL IT!!!"

"Don't panic." Crocus assured as Usopp began to do just that. "I'll give you mine. I wanna thank you guys for Laboon, too."

"Thank you." Hikari accepted politely as Momoo rose to deposit their water-logged crew-mates back onto dry land alongside two more that Laboon had fished up.

Sanji was already helping the woman up almost before catching his own breath, and Hikari rolled her eyes while offering Luffy a hand.

Straightening, the red-haired man fixed them with a strangely serious look that seemed to fit oddly on his face.

"We have a favor to ask."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Whiskey Peak?" Usopp parroted, arms folded. "That's a weird name."

Nervous expressions flickered across the pair of would-be hunters' faces, their eyes following the easy spin of Hikari's tonfa as she watched them, expression icy.

“That’s where we live, um, sir.” The man, who called himself Mister Nine, replied politely.

“What happened to your own ship?” Nami wondered, sitting back.

“It’s busted.” The woman, Miss Wednesday, admitted somewhat sheepishly.

“Considering you tried to _murder_ Laboon, you might want to think carefully about what sort of favor you want.” Hikari bit out coldly, grumbling when Zoro knocked against her shoulder.

“So what are you guys?” Usopp wondered, confident with how closely the pinkette was watching their captives, and Mister Nine gave him a blank look.

“I’m a king.”

“Liar.” Hikari and Nami refuted blandly, unimpressed.

“We can’t say.” Miss Wednesday denied, growing more anxious.

“But we want to go back to the town.” Mister Nine continued.

“We don’t want to be secretive either, but…”

“The motto of our company is ‘mystery’, after all.”

“We just can’t tell you anything about us.”

“Placing confidence in your character, we’re begging you.”

“We will definitely return the favor.”

“Don’t do it.” Crocus warned, a frown deepening the wrinkles of his face. “No matter what they say, they’re dishonest people.”

“By the way, we don’t have a Log Pose because we broke it.” Nami voiced, holding up the shattered instrument. “Do you still wanna ride with us?”

“What?! You broke it?! That’s mine, you know!”

“How dare you act stuck-up just because we’re being humble?! You guys can’t go anywhere, either!”

“Then it’s a good thing that Crocus-san gave us his Log Pose, isn’t it?” Hikari drawled, and the pair went very pale and very quiet _very_ quickly.

“You can ride with us.”

Everyone whipped around to stare at Luffy in surprise, and he just grinned back.

“Did you say Whiskey Peak? Let’s go there.”

“Hey, are you serious?” Usopp protested, startled, and the rubber boy shrugged.

“What’s the problem? Don’t worry about small things.”

“A couple of amoral whale-hunters aren’t small things.” Zoro pointed out, though he made no move past that to intervene.

“But you can only choose the route here, the starting point.” Crocus cautioned.

“If we don’t like it, then we can go around one more time.” Luffy assured, turning guileless eyes onto a silent key-holder. “Kari?”

Mister Nine and Miss Wednesday sweated under the pinkette’s unwavering stare, eyes flickering gold and seeming to peer into their very souls…

“Fine.” She allowed, earning a surprised glance from Nam. “But if you try to pull anything, _I’ll make you_ _regret every moment of your miserable existence_.”

This last was said in a low growl, causing not only the whale-hunters, but Usopp and Nami, to freeze in place.

“Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Mister Nine and Miss Wednesday squeaked out, and Zoro smirked as Luffy giggled.

“Now, can we get going?”

“Who on earth are you?” Miss Wednesday forced out, and Hikari turned her head away to hide a smile as Luffy answered, easily confident.

“Me? I’m the man who’ll be Pirate King.”


	9. Whiskey Peak Arc

Cuddling into her fluffy wool scarf, jacket closed securely against the cold and a blanket over her shoulders, Hikari tucked herself against a napping Zoro as she watched Luffy roll through the snow a few feet away, laughing.

Grumbling, the swordsman rolled closer, and she sighed at being so thoroughly pinned, untucking the blanket to help shield him further.

Usopp was making a rather impressive snowman on the main deck, and Sanji was busily shoveling on the stern-side at Nami’s direction, trying to clear the snow that had fallen only a few minutes before.

Lightning flashed through the clouds overhead, a wind building-

“AHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Jolting upright, Hikari scrambled to her feet at Nami’s scream, one hand clutching her key-ring as Zoro THUMPED onto the deck with a curse.

“What?”

“What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong, Nami-san?”

“No way! Turn the ship around a hundred-and-eighty-degrees! Hurry!” The navigator ordered, and Hikari yanked an unwilling Zoro onto his feet.

“What? Why?”

“The ship has turned around and is going in the opposite direction! When I looked away from the Log Pose for a second-The waves were calm earlier!”

Mister Nine and Miss Wednesday flew over the railing as Nami began to bark orders, even whipping Momoo into action.

“Brace the yard! Receive the wind from the starboard! Turn the ship a hundred-and-eighty-degrees to the left! Usopp, take care of the lateen sail! Sanji-kun, take the helm! Momoo, get in that harness and keep us steady!”

The crew jumped into action, whether they wanted to or not, as the weather shifted once more, winter storm clearing into a hefty gale.

There were sudden icebergs, high waves, fog, hurricane-force winds, lightning storms, blinding heat waves...

Hours later, when the Grand Line allowed itself to settle into something resembling ‘calm’, most of the crew collapsed in exhaustion onto the deck alongside their ‘passengers’ as Momoo floated in his harness, panting.

Hikari grunted when a weight landed on her chest, slitting an eye open to see Luffy’s face hovering over her own.

“Are you gonna nap, Kari?”

“I was trying to…” She drawled, yelping when the rubber boy dragged her around, plopping into his lap as rubbery limbs wrapped tight around her waist.

“Zoro looked really comfy napping with Kari before.” He stated in explanation, snickering at the pinkette’s annoyed glare. “Kari cuddles seem as nice as Kari kisses!”

“O-Oi!” She sputtered, cheeks going pink while the rubber-boy fully constricted her, like a particularly friendly octopus. “Quit saying shit like that!”

But there was no removing him, either way, so Hikari resigned herself to essentially being Luffy’s teddy bear for the moment as he nuzzled into her hair with a happy little hum.

Zoro watched them in amusement, trying to ignore that happy little warmth in his chest when she leaned into the affection, before turning to their equally-exhausted guests with a pointed smirk.

“Your faces say that you’re thinking bad thoughts.” The swordsman noted, Mister Nine and Miss Wednesday going pale at this declaration. “Something’s been bothering me ever since I first heard your names...I feel like I’ve heard them somewhere before.”

Hikari glanced over as the pair almost audibly gulped, ever watchful, and Zoro shrugged with faux nonchalance.

“Or maybe not.”

Struggling to her feet, Nami took the stage with a steadiness that drew everyone’s attention, expression firm.

“Don’t let your guard down, everyone! We don’t know what else might happen. I was finally able to realize the danger of this sea just now. I was able to understand the reason why it’s called the Grand Line. There’s no doubt about it, since my navigation skills don’t work at all!”

“How blunt…” Usopp muttered from his own tired slump. “Are we gonna be okay?”

Hikari reached out an arm to pat his head, Luffy’s grin widening.

“We’ll be fine!” Nami assured, smiling now. “Things will still work out for sure. In fact, look! Our first journey is over!”

All eyes turned to see the curves of mountainous cacti rise from the foggy mass of an island ahead, growing out of each other and looming over the water, and Hikari spotted the mouth of a river ahead, just before the white cloud thickened.

“It’s an island!” Luffy cheered, not releasing her even as he vibrated with excitement.

“So this is Whiskey Peak…” Sanji mused, tapping his ash overboard nonchalantly. “But it’s really a funny-looking island.”

Frowning, the key-holder waved a hand when Momoo rose from his slump to glance back at her, ears twitching in concern.

“Well then, we’ll be leaving now.” Mister Nine decided, hopping into a dramatic crouch on the railing with Miss Wednesday. “Thanks for taking us home, honeys.”

“If we’re linked by fate, we’ll meet again!”

“Bye bye, baby!” The pair finished together, pushing off into the water and swimming off towards the shoreline.

“They’re gone…” Nami muttered, unsure of what to think, as Momoo swam into the river’s mouth at a cautious pace.

“H-Hey…” Usopp stammered, looking to both sides nervously now. “Isn’t it possible that there are monsters or things like that?”

“It’s definitely possible.” Sanji agreed, blowing out a ring of smoke. “This _is_ the Grand Line.”

“If we come across monsters, we can just leave the island.” Luffy suggested, and Nami scowled before their sniper could register the words.

“Hold on a sec. Don’t forget that we have to stay on this island for a certain period of time. Unless we store the magnetism of this island in the Log Pose, we can’t go to the next island. Since each island requires a different amount of time to store the log, some islands require only several hours while others require days.”

“Which means we’re stuck.” Hikari summarized blandly, and Usopp began to panic.

“Well, we can think about that when it happens.” Luffy decided, tugging her towards the figurehead excitedly. “Let’s go already!”

“Luffy’s right, let’s go.” Zoro agreed, fingers drumming across his swords to distract from the smile trying to break across his face. “It’s not worth thinking about.”

“No matter what happens, I’ll protect Nami-san and Hikari-hime.” Sanji swore, and Luffy bit his lip on a grin at the unimpressed stare said pinkette leveled their cook’s way.

“Don’t bother, pervert.”

“Hey, wait.” Usopp stammered, playing at being sick and weak while Momoo rumbled anxiously. “Listen, everyone, my chronic illness is suddenly...My ‘Do Not Go To The Island’ disease is…”

“We’re almost there.” Hikari interrupted, gaze locked on the shoreline ahead.

“Listen.” Nami cautioned, fingers twitching for her staff. “Make sure you’re prepared to run as well as fight.”

Luffy grinned, climbing onto Hikari’s back to watch their approach as Zoro took in her face, noting the faint flicker of gold and the small frown pulling at her mouth.

“Huh? Something’s moving.”

Tension ratcheted up at their captain’s words, the fog peeling back enough to reveal figures on the shore.

“Everyone, be careful.” Nami warned, Usopp’s knees knocking hard enough to echo off the fog and slingshot in hand as the air cleared-

Hikari blinked at the cheering crowd that greeted them, too enthusiastic to be sincere, and her expression fell flat.

_So that’s how we’re playing this, huh?_

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If nothing else, Hikari could admit that Mister Nine and Miss Wednesday were fast swimmers.

Sitting back in a comfy armchair, Hikari watched the proceedings quietly, a mug of ‘wine’ cradled in her hands and barely touched.

Luffy had been provided a feast and an army of cooks to feed him, Nami had roped Zoro into a drinking contest with a monetary prize, Sanji was being fawned over by a small army of beautiful women, Usopp was deep into telling exaggerated stories of their adventures...

The pinkette’s glare caused a young man, the fourth of his kind, to about-face and abandon his approach in favor of ‘admiring’ a nearby abstract painting.

Annoyed, and growing increasingly anxious, Hikari glanced around discreetly as she sipped at the fancy grape juice provided to her, noting that the older man that had been circling was now pulled into Usopp’s next great tale, the young woman that kept dancing past had been caught in Sanji’s woman-drunk compliments, three of her previous ‘admirers’ had been roped into drinking heavily on a bet from Nami that they could outdrink Zoro, and the most recent was focused on Luffy as he ballooned to the size of a small house from how much meat was being stuffed down his gullet.

Now that her ‘minders’ were thoroughly distracted, the pinkette calmly put down her drink and stood, casually walking out the nearest door and glancing back once in the hallway to be sure no one had noticed.

Side-stepping into an alcove, she unclipped a silver key, head tilting to check that no one was walking by before whispering the words.

“Open, Gate of the Chameleon. Eisaku.”

The flash of his entrance was muted, dulled to a faint light in deference to the need for stealth, and the chameleon-Spirit’s eyes rolled to take in the entire hallway before landing on her.

“We’re missing a couple of guests at that party.” Hikari murmured, mouth tipping in a smirk. “Any idea where they are?”

Humming softly, the speaker in Eisaku’s side crackled to life, filtering out the hubbub from the party…

“ **Why are we putting on such an elaborate act for six weak-looking brats?** ”

Eisaku’s tail went ramrod straight and trembled, pointing left down the hallway, and Hikari followed the shadows down, signaling for her Spirit to connect with the main room’s speakers as the woman continued.

“ **We should’ve beat them at the harbor. This town is already short on food. We didn’t have our hopes up for the whale meat, anyway.** ”

“ **You didn’t have to say it like that!** ” Mister Nine protested, his voice coming more from a half-open door ahead than the speaker next to Hikari’s ears as she came closer to regular hearing range. “We did try our best!”

“Calm down.” Mayor Igarappoi cut in, and the pinkette hid on the edge of the light spilling out. “I’ve checked them out beforehand.”

A quick hand-signal, and Eisaku’s scales shimmered as he camouflaged, skittering quietly through the gap to get a clearer recording as three voices cried out in shock.

“THIRTY MILLION BELI?! _THEM_!?!”

“It’s foolish to judge a pirate’s ability based on their looks, Miss Monday.” The so-called mayor chided. “But we’ve already settled. Looks like we can send a good report to the boss. Confiscate all the money and other valuables on the ship immediately.”

Hikari was almost sure she heard a glass shatter at this, and almost pitied the man should he cross Nami’s path.

“So what about them?” Miss Wednesday wondered. “What do we do, Mister Eight?”

“If we kill them, the bounty drops by thirty percent. The government wants to hold public executions. Capture them alive.”

Tapping her fingernail on the floor, Hikari straightened as Mister Nine audibly jumped out of his skin.

“Whoa! When did we get a lizard?”

The door creaked ominously as it swung open, and the four co-conspirators froze in terror as a wave of killing intent swept in, lights flickering as if being gutted by a strong wind.

“Sorry to interrupt.” Hikari purred, voice sugary-sweet and smile full of deadly fangs as her tonfa clicked to full extension. “But I have a few problems with your plan.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zoro could admit, if only to himself, that he always got a rush of adrenaline whenever Hikari let loose.

There was something in the roll of her shoulders and the shade of her eyes that made him think of a powerful beast stirring, and it lit a fire in his blood to see.

The swordsman suspected that Luffy felt the same, since his expression shifted when her voice came over the speakers instead of their enemies’, fatally sweet.

“ **Sorry to interrupt...But I have a few problems with your plan.** ”

The entire building shook violently, as if an explosion had gone off and sent a shockwave through the foundation, and a wall crashed open to reveal four downed bounty hunters.

Stepping through as the dust settled, Hikari looked over the room of stunned ‘citizens’ with molten-gold eyes, head tilting just so to make a shiver go down their spines.

“Anyone want to argue with me?”

One brave fool seemed to still have some wits about him, shakily drawing a knife, and Wado clicked out of its sheath-

Only for a rubbery fist to slam down on his head, a truly rotund Luffy rising from the floor with a furious roar.

“NO ONE HURTS MY CREW!!!”

And everything devolved into chaos.

Sliding Wado Ichimonji free, Zoro sliced neatly through the staff of a woman’s naginata before the blade could bisect Hikari’s calf, ducking so the pinkette could roll over his shoulders and bring both tonfa down on a startled would-be-assassin’s head.

Taking a moment to aim, she fired the cable of her tonfa to wrap around a woman-drunk, about-to-be-killed-by-about-twenty-woman Sanji and yank him free, a twist of the wrist bringing him down in a brutal kick to a man’s shoulder and into the fight.

Drawing Yubashiri, Zoro parried the blows of three rather mediocre swordsmen with ease, disarming one so their blade went spinning to smack hilt-first into the temple of a woman that had been chasing Usopp around with a knife.

“Thanks, Zoro!”

Blocking a bat that came swinging at her hip, Hikari stomped on the offender’s foot hard with her heel and wrenched the weapon free, sending it in a neat arc to tangle in the legs of a man attempting to hack Nami’s head open with a blade, giving her the opening needed to return the favor with her staff.

“Thanks, Kari-chan!”

No longer gorged on food, Luffy tore through the swarm of panicking bounty hunters with a roar, and Hikari blinked as he grabbed onto her wrist and stretched.

“Gum Gum-”

The pinkette felt the sudden tension in his arm and grinned.

“Slingshot!”

With an elastic SNAP, she was sent hurtling feet-first into a crowd of startled enemies, wall cracking open like an egg as they were flung back.

“KARI!” Usopp wailed as he ran from a quartet of hatchet-wielding bounty hunters, and she took a moment to aim before firing the end of her tonfa into a wall just before his pursuers and sending all of them flipping end-over-end onto their faces.

Changing course on a dime, the sniper clung to her back like a shivery koala, and Hikari rolled her eyes.

“I’ve got you, Usopp. Cover my back, will you?”

“O-Of course!” He agreed immediately, brandishing his slingshot. “Tabasco Star!”

A fire lit in Sanji at seeing this, which worked in Nami’s favor as he went like a whirlwind through the bounty hunters surrounding her, and Zoro chuckled when Usopp began to boast how these fools would never win now that Captain Usopp was at Full Power while firing Lead and Exploding Stars at an impressive rate.

Even with the extra burden, Hikari was spinning and ducking and dodging as easy as ever, sparks flying off her tonfa when a blade skittered off the length.

“Woo!” Luffy cheered as he knocked the last enemy down, good mood restored. “I finally worked off all that food!”

“Hey, the mayor and those other three are gone.” Usopp noted once he slid off Hikari’s back, nearly giving himself whiplash a moment later. “THE MAYOR AND THOSE OTHER THREE ARE GONE!!!”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake…” The pinkette muttered as she realized he was right, annoyed. “Fine, fuck, I’ll look for them. Kurama’s already looting the houses, Nami.”

“You’re the best, Kari-chan!” The navigator praised, all signs of fatigue gone. “Sanji-kun, Usopp, come help us carry it all!”

“Of course, Nami-san!”

Hikari glanced up when Zoro joined her at the door, Wado and Yubashiri sliding back into their sheaths, and he shrugged back as they stepped onto the empty twilit street.

There was an obvious skid-mark left in the hard-packed dirt, four sets of footprints leaving a deep trench, and the pinkette sighed.

“Heaven help me, but they’re hopeless.”

The swordsman snickered as they followed the obvious tracks, noting a flash of red-gold fur in a doorway to their left.

It seemed Kurama was keeping an eye on his key-holder while stealing everything that was not thoroughly bolted down.

“How pitiful…”

Hikari held up a hand to slow him at the unexpected voice, annoyance melting aware into a serious focus, and crept to the edge of an alley’s mouth as the unknown man continued.

“Losing against rookie pirates…”

“Mister Five!” The ‘mayor’ voiced, clearly startled by this newcomer. “Miss Valentine!”

Pressing a hand to Zoro’s arm, Hikari peeked around carefully, studying the new pair that stood at the opposite end of the alley from the battered quartet.

The man, Mister Five, was tall and dark-skinned, with messy black hair and everything from his shirt to his sunglasses in various earthy shades, while his partner, Miss Valentine, was comparatively shorter and bright, with bobbed blonde hair and light green eyes and a pale dress decorated in lemon wedges, a parasol spinning idly in her hands.

“Are you guys kidding around?”

“After all, this is the difference between our rank and yours, isn’t it?” Miss Valentine agreed with a laugh, and Zoro frowned as he saw the tension build across Hikari’s shoulders.

“Did you come to laugh at us?” Mister Eight replied, wiping at his face and watching them warily.

“That too, but…”

“Of course, we’re here under our mission.”

“Thank goodness.” Mister Nine breathed, oblivious to the tension that Hikari could feel building. “If you help us, they’ll be no match for us!”

“That’s right.” Miss Wednesday agreed, relieved. “Please beat them right away.”

“Enough with the bad jokes.” Mister Five denied, far too cold for an ally. “Us, help you?”

“Did you really think that we’d come all the way to the end of the Grand Line for that?” Miss Valentine mocked, amused at the confusion crossing the pair’s faces as Mister Eight and Miss Wednesday went very still.

“What? Then what mission did you come here for?”

“You really have no idea?” Their superior taunted, like a cat toying with a wounded mouse, and a calloused hand pressed between the pinkette’s shoulder-blades to help hold her in place. “There’re criminals here that are big enough for the boss to send us here to deal with. These’re the boss’ words. ‘They’ve found out my secrets’. Of course, I don’t even know what kind of secrets they are, but our company’s motto is ‘mystery’. No matter whose identity it is, the rule is that you never nose around. If someone finds out the boss’ secrets, that’s, of course, a sin worthy of death.”

“So, when we very carefully investigated who learned his secrets, oh boy, we found out that a VIP from a certain kingdom sneaked into Baroque Works.”

“A certain kingdom?” Mister Nine stammered, unaware of how pale his partner had become. “Wait a sec! Although I’m wearing a crown, I’m not a king or anything! It’s just my hobby!”

“We’re not talking about you.” Miss Valentine shot down immediately. “The sinners are those who’re missing from Alabasta Kingdom right now.”

Hikari almost jolted at this, eyes going wide.

 _Alabasta? Then that’s_ -

Mister Eight surged up, gun barrels popping from his elaborate curls.

“Die! Igarappappa!”

Machinegun-fire erupted, and Zoro yanked her back by the fabric of her t-shirt as debris and a surge of hot air blasted from the alley’s mouth.

“I won’t let you lay a hand on our princess! On my name as Squad Captain of Alabasta Kingdom Security!”

“Igaram!”

“Fuck!” Hikari swore, heart starting to race. “No, not-”

“Igaram, the Squad Captain of Alabasta Kingdom Security.” Mister Five noted, unruffled by the furious attack. “And it’s princess, Nefertari Vivi. In the name of the Baroque Works’ boss, we’ll eliminate you two.”

Zoro grunted when she pushed off his chest, and Igaram released an URK as he was yanked away from the projectile heading for him.

“OPEN, GATE OF THE RAM! ARIES!”

“WOOL WALL!”

The surrounding buildings trembled violently as the explosion was rebuffed, windows shattering from the redirected shockwave, and Vivi stared in awe as the Celestial Spirit waved aside her barrier and faded back through her Gate.

“Sumimasen…”

“Neither of you is laying a finger on them.” Hikari stated coldly, Vivi squeaking when Zoro appeared at her back, one hand on Wado’s hilt. “If you want to fight, I’ll put both your asses down right here.”

“We’ll see about that.” Mister Five retorted, finger rooting around in his nose as Miss Valentine laughed.

“You have no chance-”

Vivi’s jaw dropped as Hikari whipped out a _second_ gold key, the blade touching a bead of moisture on the alley wall.

“Open, Gate of the Water Bearer. Aquarius.”

The pair of assassins went very pale as Aquarius loomed over them, expression thunderous.

“Torrent.”

Vivi’s jaw dropped as the pair of assassins became twinkles in the night sky, and Zoro hummed, impressed.

“Aw, Kari!” Luffy whined, barreling over Mister Nine and Miss Monday as he burst from an adjacent alleyway. “I wanted to fight them!”

“Then you should’ve been faster.” Hikari drawled as Aquarius snickered, patting her mussed hair while dissolving into golden starlight.

“Be nice, brat.”

“What’s going on?” Nami demanded, a bit of panic still lingering in her eyes from seeing Kurama disappear. “What did you get us into, Kari-chan?!”

“First of all, I was being nice and stopping an assassination attempt.” The pinkette deadpanned, unflinching in the face of their navigator’s fury. “And second, _I’m_ not the one that invited these two onto our ship. That was Luffy.”

Turning as Nami nearly put a hole through said captain with her eyes, Hikari helped prop Igaram against a nearby wall, checking him for injuries as the man took her face in, vaguely remembering…

“What are you two doing, pretending to join Baroque Works?” She wondered, jogging the thought loose and into the ether. “I know Alabasta has been having some unrest, but what does this organization have to do with it?”

“Alabasta?” Luffy parroted, saving himself from a solid scolding, and the pinkette glanced back to him.

“It’s a peaceful kingdom in the Grand Line, mostly made up of desert.”

“It used to be.” Vivi admitted quietly, drained. “It’s in the middle of a civil war. For years now, signs of a revolution have begun to appear. The people revolted, and the kingdom fell into total chaos...Then, one day, I heard the name of an organization. Baroque Works”

“I thought they were just bounty hunters.” Hikari stated, caught off-guard, and Igaram shook his head.

“Baroque Works is a crime syndicate that specializes in bounty hunting, assassinations, larceny and espionage. None of its members knows their boss’ face or name. It’s all done at their boss’ command.”

“Why would they listen to their boss, whose identity they don’t know?” Nami wondered, disturbed at the thought.

“Baroque Works’ ultimate objective is the founding of an ideal nation. Everyone who does well within the company now will be guaranteed a high social standing within the ideal nation that the boss will be creating before long.”

Zoro glanced over to see the dots connect in Hikari’s eyes, irises melting to gold.

“You don’t mean…”

“I learned that the populace was being manipulated by this group.” Vivi replied, knuckles going white against her thighs. “But there was a tight lid on any other information than that, and there was nothing I could do. That’s when I asked Igaram for help. I asked him if there was a way I could infiltrate Baroque Works, because that would let us see who was pulling the strings, and what their goal was.”

“A high-spirited princess.” Zoro approved, brow quirking at the sudden flush of pink on Hikari’s cheeks before Vivi’s upset distracted him.

“The boss says their goal is to create an ideal nation, but it’s an enormous lie. The true goal is to take over Alabasta! I have to hurry back, tell everyone the truth, and stop the fighting! If I don’t do something…”

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay…” Hikari assured gently, pulling the younger princess into a hug and shushing her barely-contained hiccups. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you back to Alabasta.”

“WHAT!?!”

Nami’s incandescent fury met Hikari’s icy stubbornness, and Luffy glanced between them, head tilting like a puppy.

“We just got here and you want us to go against a secret crime syndicate?!”

“Yeah. Got a problem with that?”

The rubber boy wisely stepped around the violent clash of wills, poking Vivi’s cheek as she sniffled.

“Hey, who _is_ pulling the strings?”

“The boss’ identity?” The princess squeaked, wide-eyed. “You shouldn’t ask that!”

“You know who it is, right?” He pressed, pulling Hikari’s attention around with a frown.

“Don’t ask me! Anything but that! Your lives will be put in danger, too!”

“I think I’ll pass on that!” Nami agreed hurriedly, her own self-preservation instincts kicking in. “After all, these guys are trying to take over an entire country! They’re obviously insanely dangerous people!”

“Yes, they are! As strong as you people may be, you’d never stand a chance against one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile!”

…

“You just said it.” Zoro noted blandly as Nami and Vivi went pale in shock, Hikari’s eyes lifting to find a large vulture and an otter wearing shades sitting on the roof overhead before taking off into the night.

“WHAT WAS THAT BIRD AND SEA OTTER!?!” Nami demanded in a panic, shaking the princess as she babbled apologies.

“Hey, a Warlord!” Luffy cheered, Zoro smirking.

“Not too shabby.”

Hikari rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at her mouth.

“Down, boys.”

“Being hunted by a Warlord the moment we enter the Grand Line is too much to handle!” Nami wailed, much more worked up than Zoro was at the moment.

“We’re lucky we can see him so soon.”

“I wonder what he’s like!” Luffy agreed, giggling, and the navigator almost hissed.

“SHUT UP, YOU TWO!!!”

“Well, it’s too late to get out of this mess now.” Hikari pointed out, logical. “So it’s better to stick together and help her.”

“It’s been a short acquaintance, but I thank you for everything.” The navigator decided, about-facing. “They don’t know what we look like yet! I’m running away!”

The key-holder watched, deadpan, as the otter appeared in her path with a sketchpad in paw, four sketches visible before the vulture whisked it away.

“I guess this means there’s nowhere to run now, huh?!”

“Guess that means all four of us are on Baroque Works’ hitlist now.” Zoro agreed, unconcerned.

“Fear not!”

All five turned to find that Igaram had snuck off in their distraction and returned dressed like Vivi, four cloth dummies under his arms.

“It’s alright! I have a plan!”

“Did it require crossdressing, or was that for you?” Hikari wondered as Luffy giggled.

“It’s idiot after idiot…” Nami lamented, though Igaram’s expression became serious.

“Vivi-sama, please listen to me carefully. Once Baroque Works’ intelligence network learns of something, pursuers may come after you almost immediately. On top of that, if you know the boss’ secrets...You know what happens.”

“A thousand or so people will come after you.” Vivi confirmed solemnly.

“Therefore, I will pretend to be you, like so, and sail straight to Alabasta with four dummies on board.”

“These are us?” Luffy clarified, poking at the white mounds of fluff, and Hikari’s mouth quirked.

“Looks just like you.”

“A decoy, huh?” Zoro agreed, and Igaram nodded.

“While the pursuers are busy with me, all of you will head to Alabasta via the normal route.”

“Hold it!” Nami protested, extra jittery. “Who said we were gonna take the princess there?!”

“I did.” Hikari replied firmly, and Luffy perked up.

“Take the princess there? Sure.”

“Crocodile is gonna come after us, you know!”

“Is Crocodile really that strong?” The straw-hat boy wondered, curious.

“He’s one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He’s a legally-recognized pirate, and thus has no bounty on his head. However, the bounty he _did_ have long ago was eighty-million beli. Will you do it?”

“Yeah, it sounds like fun!” Luffy decided, oblivious to Nami’s screeching. “And Kari really wants to! That must mean it’s a good thing!”

“At least you’re getting all the treasure on this island.” Hikari pointed out, and Nami slumped in defeat.

“Yeah…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Now then I, Vivi, will leave from here.” Igaram stated, voice pitched high, now that his ship was prepared.

“That’s a perfect imitation, old guy!” Luffy approved, giggling, and Zoro scoffed.

“Imitation of _who_?”

“Now then, princess, please give me the Eternal Pose.”

“Eternal Pose?” Nami wondered, looking at the almost hourglass-shaped device that exchanged hands.

“You’ve never heard of it? I suppose you could say it’s a permanent version of a Log Pose.” Igaram explained, holding it so they could see the unwavering needle within. “Whereas a Log Pose always leads ships to the next island, an Eternal Pose will never forget the magnetic energy of the island that is stored in it, meaning that it will forever point to that island alone. And this one is set to Alabasta. Vivi-sama, please take the indirect island-hopping route to Alabasta. I’ve not taken the path myself, but it should only be two or three islands if you follow the Log.”

Igaram turned to the four pirates, solemn.

“Please take good care of the princess.”

“Yeah!”

“Igaram…”

“I expect it will be a harsh journey.” He interrupted gently, placing a hand on Vivi’s shoulder. “Be careful on your way.”

After a moment, she nodded, offering a smile.

“You, too.”

Watching as the ship was pulled out to sea, with only a single occupant on board, Luffy grinned.

“There he goes. He was a funny old guy, to the very end.”

“He really is reliable.” Vivi agreed, subdued at seeing her lifelong protector sail away.

But Hikari frowned, eyes flickering gold-

The night lit up with a light like the sun, water roaring and clouds splitting overhead like a thunderclap.

“That’s impossible!” Nami forced out, wide-eyed and frozen in place. “They’re already after us?!”

“He was a great person!” Luffy ground out, smile wiped off his face.

“Nami, what’s the Log say?” Zoro demanded, jolting their navigator back to reality as Hikari took hold of Vivi’s shoulders.

“We’re okay! It’s stored up!”

“Open, Gate of Canis Major! MORO!”

The shell-shocked princess almost yelped as she was lifted onto the wolf-Spirit’s back, Hikari swinging up after her and helping Nami up.

“We’ll get you there.” She swore, Moro loping back down the rocks towards the Going Merry as Luffy split off to find Sanji and Usopp.

“I know they don’t look like much, but they saved the East Blue.” Nami agreed, holding tight to Vivi. “Just the five of them! Baroque Works? Crocodile? Ha! The Seven Warlords are nothing at all!”

Shaking off the numbness, Vivi nodded as blood dripped from a bitten-through lip.

“Where’s Karoo? We can’t leave without Karoo.”

“Karoo?” Hikari echoed, head turning to scan the streets as Moro darted through.

“A super spot-billed duck.”

“Moro, smell duck?” The pinkette wondered, and the two-tailed Spirit lifted her nose for a deep inhale.

“Mm...Up ahead. Near the ship.”

“At least we don’t have to look for him.” She noted, reaching back to pat Vivi’s hip as she melted in relief.

“Get on!” Zoro called once he spotted them approaching, pulling up the anchor. “We’re ready to leave anytime!”

“Have you seen a duck?” Hikari wondered, and the swordsman blinked, jerking his thumb.

“This him?”

“YOU’RE THERE!?!” Vivi and Nami burst as said spot-billed duck popped up on Momoo’s head as the sea-cow peered around the ship.

“He was here even before me.”

“Whatever, it works.” She muttered, the other two squeaking as Moro cleared the railing in a single leap.

“There’s a tributary just up the river.” Vivi said once she had tumbled onto the deck and caught her breath. “We can use it to get out to sea a little faster.”

“Alright, let’s go!” Luffy ordered as he vaulted aboard, sails unfurling to catch the wind as Momoo shrugged back into his harness.

“We should be able to leave the island soon.” Nami agreed as fog once more enveloped the ship, Moro’s ears twitching-

Vivi yelped when she was yanked behind Hikari’s smaller frame, quieting at the low rumble that went through the deck from Momoo while the woman sitting nonchalantly on the railing overhead merely smiled, bright eyes shadowed by the brim of a cowboy hat and dark hair tumbling fluidly over slim shoulders.

“This is a nice ship.”

“Who’re you?!” Zoro demanded, hands dropping to his katana as Vivi stammered in shock.

“I ran into Mister Eight a short while ago, Miss Wednesday.”

“You killed Igaram!” The royal spit out, furious.

“Who cares about that?” Luffy cut in, angry. “What’re you doing on this ship? Who are you?!”

“What are you doing here, Miss All Sunday?” Vivi demanded, and Nami frowned.

“Miss All Sunday? What number is she partner to?”

“She’s the partner of Mister Zero, the boss! She was the only one who knew the boss’ identity, we found out who he is by following her!”

“More accurately, I _allowed_ you to follow me.” Miss All Sunday corrected, and Hikari frowned as she studied the woman, eyes flicking gold.

“I know that!” Vivi snapped, too furious now to be afraid. “You’re also the one who told him we discovered his identity, right?”

“Correct.”

“What exactly is it you’re trying to do?!”

“Good question.” Miss All Sunday admitted, smile falling away. “You were all so intent and serious that I found myself helping out. The idea of a princess trying her hardest to save her kingdom while making herself an enemy of Baroque Works...It was just so ridiculous, you see.”

Moro snarled, fur bristling from nose to twin tails, as the entire crew drew their weapons and Momoo reared back.

“I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t point such dangerous objects at me.”

Quick as a flash, Sanji and Usopp had been tossed over the railing, Nami’s staff was knocked from her hands, Zoro lost his grip on Wado, and Hikari was folded over a spasming diaphragm as Moro yelped, fading into starlight while Momoo whimpered, nursing his snout.

“A Devil’s Fruit?” The swordsman spat out as Sanji realized their attacker was a woman and went all heart-eye.

“Which one?” Nami stammered, eyes darting around. “What’s her power?”

“Now, now, don’t be hasty. I haven’t been given any orders.” The assassin brushed off nonchalantly. “I have no reason to fight.”

A familiar straw hat suddenly flew into her hand, spinning lazily around a finger.

“So you’re the straw hat captain I’ve heard so much about...Monkey D. Luffy.”

“Hey, you! Gimme my hat back!” The rubber boy raged, almost breathing fire. “Are you trying to start a fight?!”

“I deem you an enemy!” Usopp agreed, hiding behind Hikari as she managed to straighten. “Leave this instant!”

“How unlucky you are, you people who picked up a princess Baroque Works is out to kill...And a princess being protected by a mere handful of pirates...But what’s even unluckier is the course your Log Pose indicates.”

Miss All Sunday smiled now, completely at ease.

“The name of the next island is Little Garden. We don’t even need to do anything. You’ll be wiped out long before you can even reach Alabasta.”

“Why are you telling us?”

Hikari’s stern words cut through the general mayhem, molten gold meeting cool blue.

“Why not let us go in blind and get wiped out, like you said? Why warn us?”

“Do you not think letting yourself get wiped out is a bit foolish?” Miss All Sunday replied, tossing back Luffy’s hat and an Eternal Pose, the latter of which landed in Vivi’s hands. “You can skip past Little Garden with that. It points to an island just before Alabasta, Nothing At All Island. None of our employees know that course, so no one will chase you.”

“It’s a trap, isn’t it?” Zoro accused, scowling when he caught the slightest shake of Hikari’s head.

“Is it now?”

“Who cares about that?!” Luffy roared, crushing the Eternal Pose-

And getting Nami’s foot in his face.

“Are you an idiot?! She just went out of her way to show us a nicer course! What if she’s actually a good person?!”

“You’re not the one who decides this ship’s course.” Luffy told Miss All Sunday, serious.

“I see...That’s too bad.”

“She blew up the old tube-hair guy, so I hate her.” Their captain decided, and Hikari could hardly argue with him on that.

“I don’t hate high-spirited people.” She voiced, walking calmly to the Merry’s port side. “If you survive, let’s meet again.”

“No!”

With a smile, Miss All Sunday jumped over the side onto the back of a giant turtle, disappearing into the fog.

“Are you okay, Momoo?” Hikari worried once she was gone, rushing up the bow-side stairs as said sea-cow blubbered, gingerly touching the gold ring in his nose. “Oh, poor baby…”

“I can’t tell what that woman is thinking one bit…” Vivi admitted, collapsing as the adrenaline began to fade.

“Then there’s no point in thinking about it.” Nami decided, and Zoro nodded.

“We already got someone like that on this ship, anyway.”

“Ow! LUFFY!”

“But Kari, she hit you really hard!”

“And poking’s supposed to make it better?!”

“Well-”

BAM!

“QUIT IT!!!”


	10. Little Garden Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everybody!
> 
> Here are the two chapters I had to put of thanks to the holiday season, and I hope you enjoy them! Alabasta's next!
> 
> Sincerely,  
> DragonPrincess18

Melting across his key-holder’s lap, Pyxus churred as gentle fingers preened his belly, and Hikari hummed while carefully rolling the straw-like pin-feathers between her fingers to open the budding feathers.

The Grand Line had calmed the farther they sailed from Reverse Mountain, no longer ping-ponging between extremes, and she was relieved at the opportunity to spend time with her non-combative Spirits.

“Here.”

Blinking as a glass was held out to her, the pinkette smiled and accepted Zoro’s offering, scooting over to make room while sipping at the refreshing beverage.

“Thanks.”

The swordsman grunted, ears warm, and watched as Luffy, Usopp and Sanji crowded around to watch Karoo guzzle drink after drink at breakneck speed-

BAM!

THUMP!

SMASH!

“Are you trying to get him sick?!” Hikari scolded, and Zoro snickered as Pyxus blinked from his lap.

“Aw, Kari…” Luffy whined once he pulled his head free of a crate, Sanji dizzily swooning over her strength from where he had landed on the bow-side deck.

“Are you really human?” Vivi wondered, amazed, and Nami sighed.

“I’ve been asking myself that same question…”

Rolling her eyes, Hikari reached out to pat Momoo’s snout as he glanced over the railing to see what all the fuss was about, earning a happy rumble at the attention.

“Hey, do you think it’s gonna snow again?” Luffy wondered, frowning at the sky, and Vivi straightened.

“It could snow, but the sea we were in first is special, since the seven magnetic forces from Reverse Mountain mess everything up. That doesn’t mean you relax your attention here, though. It’d be rare for this sea to be wild like the first journey, but it’s still true that this sea is a lot more difficult than ordinary ones. Never underestimate this sea. That’s the ironclad rule.”

“Hot and cold air colliding causes all sorts of extreme weather.” Hikari agreed, barely swaying as Luffy climbed onto her back like a koala. “The strange magnetism causes islands to be locked into seasons, so it makes sense that the oceans between them would be volatile.”

“So approaching any island, we need to be on the lookout for strange weather patterns.” Nami agreed, checking the Log Pose on her wrist and the horizon ahead. “There’s no mistake. That island and Cactus Island are pulling against each other.”

The crew turned as one to see a green landmass rising from a thin layer of fog over the water, and Pyxus disappeared with a frightened squeak.

“Our next stop is that island!”

“So that’s Little Garden…” The pinkette mused, sharing a glance with Zoro as Luffy perked up with a grin.

Miss All Sunday’s warning was still fresh in their minds, and the swordsman kept a hand on Wado as the Going Merry bobbed closer, Momoo following on the port side and eyeing the shoreline nervously as they skirted around.

Trees towered overhead, trunks tightly hugged by vines with strange flowers blooming and roots thoroughly blanketed by wide-leafed flora, air humid and tropical where Cactus Island had been a more tepid temperature.

“What’s ‘little’ about it?” Zoro muttered, and Nami nodded, frowning in thought.

“This place doesn’t quite fit its cute name.”

“It’s like a _terra incognita_.” Usopp stuttered, teeth rattling like dice. “It’s a thick jungle!”

“We have to be careful!” Vivi warned, Karoo hiding his bulk behind her as she scanned the forest. “I’m worried about what Miss All Sunday was saying.”

Hikari rolled her eyes as a second weight landed on her back, Luffy pouting as Usopp clung on like a barnacle.

“A-Are you saying a monster may appear?”

“There’s a pretty good chance that would happen on _any_ island.” The key-holder pointed out, Momoo whimpering in sympathy with their sniper.

“Let’s go to our next destination without going ashore on this one!”

“But the Log can’t be stored so quickly.” Nami reminded him, exasperated, and Sanji nodded.

“Also, we have to stock up on food soon. We didn’t get much of anything in the last town we were in.”

“There’s a river mouth there.” Zoro spotted, pointing out an opening in the shoreline that led further inland.

“We can get in through there and come up with a game plan.” Hikari agreed, Usopp blubbering as she turned to the sea-cow following them.

“Momoo, you mind pulling us in?”

Teary-eyed with fright, the sea creature gathered his courage with a nod, shrugging on his harness and tugging the caravel towards the river as gently as the currents allowed.

“I hope there’s a barbecue restaurant in here…”

SMACK!

“Why would there be a restaurant in the middle of a jungle?” Hikari scolded, having grabbed her captain’s rubber head and forced his face into the railing.

“We’ll collect food to cook later.” Sanji explained, exasperated. “Jeez, what’re you thinking?”

“But it’s dangerous to go ashore.” Nami warned, edging closer to Hikari as Momoo pulled into the river. “Just take a look at the plants here, to start with. I’ve never seen anything like them, even in encyclopedias.”

A horrible screech seemed to confirm her worries, and Hikari grunted when she suddenly had _three_ people clinging to her back, two of whom were screaming in fright.

“What was it I just heard?!”

“It’s alright.” Sanji assured the frazzled navigator, smiling around his cigarette. “It’s just a bird.”

Hikari spotted said ‘bird’ as it dove towards the Going Merry, a massive green-feathered beast with fangs in a wickedly-sharp beak and claws at the ends of its wings and sword-like talons, and thought there could be no greater understatement.

“Open, Gate of the Maiden! VIRGO!”

Leaping from her Gate, the maid-Spirit wrapped her chains around the startled bird’s wings and spun it into a nearby tree with a deafening CRACK that split the trunk into three jagged pieces.

“Just a bird, huh?” The pinkette drawled as Virgo landed daintily on the deck, though Sanji hardly seemed to notice as he noodled in place.

“You never cease to dazzle every day, Hikari-hime! Virgo-chan!”

“I wonder if it tastes good....” Luffy mused, a heavy BOOM causing Nami and Usopp to nearly rattle him from his perch.

“Is that a kind of noise you hear from just any jungle?” The navigator squeaked, Usopp nearly in tears.

“That sounded like a volcano erupted!”

A pair of eyes flashed with night-shine, and Zoro quirked a brow as a massive tiger prowled into view-

And collapsed in a pool of blood, clawed clean open on its right side.

“This isn’t normal!” Nami insisted, shaking Hikari’s shoulders and causing Luffy to giggle as he was whipped side to side by the motion. “This is definitely not normal! Why does a tiger, king of the jungle, fall covered in blood?!”

“Because he’s not king of this jungle.” The key-holder drawled, prying both navigator and sniper off her back to drop them into Virgo’s arms.

“It’s decided that we’re not going ashore on this island!”

“We’ll quietly wait on the ship until the Log is stored and leave this island as soon as possible! We have to go to Alabasta quickly!”

Momoo blubbered as he came to a stop in a calm section of river, and Zoro dropped the anchor while Luffy began to almost vibrate with excitement.

“Sanji! Make lunch for me!”

“Lunch?” Said cook replied, caught off-guard by the demand.

“Yeah! For replenishing energy! A ‘pirate lunch’ with lots of meat and no veggies! I can smell adventure in the air!”

“I think that’s the smell of blood.” The pinkette deadpanned, frowning up at him. “And where do you think _you’re_ going?”

“Adventure! Wanna come along? Adventure! Adventure!”

“No thanks.” She replied flatly. “Getting lost in the jungle isn’t my idea of a fun time.”

“Sanji! Make lunch for me!”

“Okay, hold on a bit.”

“Say, can I come with you?” Vivi wondered, startling their two skittish crew-mates into stunned silence.

“Sure! Come, come!”

“You sure you want to do that?” Hikari asked, and the princess smiled.

“If I just sit around here, I may start thinking about all sorts of things. I’ll go out to take my mind off things until the Log is stored.”

“No way!” Nami protested, holding tight to Virgo’s arm as the Celestial Spirit watched the proceedings with faint amusement. “It may be okay for Luffy, but it’s too dangerous for you!”

“I’ll be fine since Karoo will be with me.”

“Yeah, he seems really excited to go.” Hikari drawled as she took in said duck’s horrified expression.

“Then I’ll make a lunch of love for Vivi-sama.” Sanji agreed, opening the kitchen door.

“Could you prepare something to drink for Karoo?”

“Of course! Please leave it to me!”

In record time, the blonde had prepared two bento, one of which took up all of Luffy’s backpack and the other safely nestled in Karoo’s saddlebag, the barrel around said duck’s neck filled to the brim.

“Now you’re all set. Two pirate lunches and a special drink for Karoo.”

“Okay!” Luffy cheered, vaulting over the railing with a Karoo-riding Vivi not far behind.

“Be careful!” Hikari warned, and the rubber boy grinned with a nod before taking off.

“Well, I’m bored, too.” Zoro yawned, forearm resting lazily on the hilts of his swords. “So I’ll go take a walk.”

“Hm...Sounds nice, actually.” Hikari noted, taking in the balmy jungle and deciding her halter top was good enough for the climate. “I’ll go with you.”

The swordsman shrugged, feigning indifference, as Nami and Usopp sputtered excuses for them not to go while Virgo giggled, disappearing out from under them.

“Hey, Zoro! Wait!” Sanji called once both had cleared the railing, and Hikari turned from where she was studying a flowering bush as Zoro grunted. “We’re short of food. If you see animals that appear edible, bring them back.”

“Okay, got it.” The swordsman agreed, unable to help the jab that quickly followed. “I’ll bring one back that you can’t possibly capture.”

The pinkette sighed as Sanji lit up with competitive fury, one foot on the railing.

“Wait, you bastard! I can’t let that remark go unchallenged! Not in front of Hikari-hime! You can capture a bigger one than I can, you say?”

“Of course.”

“I’m not dealing with this shit.” Hikari decided, turning away with a scowl. “See you later.”

“Wait, Kari-”

Ignoring the following protests, she stepped into the cool shade of the trees, annoyance propelling her through the tangled undergrowth with purpose.

 _Honestly, those two are worse than bucks during mating season_...

For a moment, she wanted to track down Luffy, but squashed the idea.

 _It’s not like I want to spend time alone with them, anyway_...

The thought rang hollow even within her own head, and she skimmed gentle fingertips over the velvet-soft petals of a flower as large as Luffy’s belly had become on Cactus Island.

 _I just didn’t want everyone around, that’s all...We could just talk, hunt a bit, maybe hold han_ -

Flushing red at the sudden turn of her thoughts, Hikari shook the half-completed sentence away as a tonfa clicked to full extension and intercepted a diving bird-creature with a CRACK.

_Nope! Nuh-uh! Not happening! That’s-Why would either of them even want to do that?_

Shoulders drooping, the pinkette kicked a rock into a prowling saber-toothed tiger’s forehead and knocked it out cold.

 _Not that it matters, anyway. I just like spending time with them, and that’s normal for friends, right? I’m getting lines crossed, that’s all...Just because Zoro’s funny, and Luffy’s strangely sweet, and I feel safe_ -

Growling as her train of thought derailed a second time, Hikari smacked her forehead against the nearest tree, ignoring the pterodactyl that was knocked loose and fell in a heap to her right.

 _No! Bad brain!_ Bad _!_

Slumping in defeat when the heat in her cheeks refused to dissipate, Hikari released a slow breath and straightened.

 _Damn it_...

Heading further into the jungle, she spun a tonfa lazily over loose knuckles.

“Maybe beating something up will make me feel better…”

The raptors hidden behind a thick trunk shuddered in fear, hearts thundering like in a horror movie.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grumbling under his breath, Zoro stomped through a barrier of leafy undergrowth, glaring daggers at everything in his way.

 _Stupid cook_...

If Sanji had just kept his mouth shut, Hikari would be with him right now, instead of out there somewhere mad at both of them.

Any appeal of fighting the local wildlife was greatly diminished now, which only irritated the swordsman more.

 _Yeah, I wanted to fight with her again_ , he admitted to himself, smacking a bushel of heavy leaves out of his way. _That scuffle back on Cactus Island wasn’t enough, barely a warm-up, I could tell. Kari needs a bigger challenge, needs to test her limits_...

Zoro paused as he remembered the rush of adrenaline, feeling her rage in the air like a heat haze, the sharp focus in her eyes, and distracted himself by kicking through a thick section of foliage.

 _Luffy needs a good fight, too. Get some of that energy out. Maybe I should join up with him, find something big enough to be fun_...

Because Luffy raring for a fight was just as exciting as Hikari no longer bothering to hold back, smile going sharp and feral before pulling a fist back to break through anyone in his path, and Zoro felt the thrill in his blood just picturing that fight against Arlong.

There was that thought of how they matched against each other, how hard it would be to pin one of them down in a spar, what their sweat would taste like on his tongue if he bit down-

Ears burning, the swordsman sloppily shoved such musings into that box in the back of his mind.

 _It’s just because they’re strong_ , he rationalized quickly, knocking a large rose-like flower out of his face. _Haven’t done that in a while, body’s just confused, can’t tell the difference between wanting a fight and wanting_ -

Even thinking that word made him choke, and luckily, that was when a large three-horned creature crossed his path.

 ** _Finally_**.

Drawing Wado and Kitetsu, Zoro grinned.

There was nothing quite as relaxing as a good fight.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catching a strange little lizard, Luffy laughed as it wiggled in his hands, tiny toes ticklish against his palms.

“Hey, Kari! Zoro! Look!”

The rubber boy turned, brandishing his find, before remembering that his crew-mates were not there and frowning as Vivi pulled up on Karoo.

Not having either of them right there was vaguely disconcerting, like everything was suddenly five inches to the left, and Luffy found he disliked the feeling.

There was a sudden urge to wrap around Hikari in a hug, feel the softness of her hair against his cheek and the way she rocked just slightly when taking his weight, or grab onto Zoro, feel the sturdiness of his frame and see that fondness soften his face while lifting an arm so he could swing from it...

That feeling dulled the edges of Luffy’s excitement, and he wanted so badly for them to be here, because this adventure would be so much better if they were sharing it with him.

Not that he disliked Vivi, she was nice and keeping up well enough, but she was not Hikari or Zoro.

Luffy hummed, finding that he did not want Nami or Usopp or Sanji quite so badly at that moment, though they were nakama.

 _Kari and Zoro are different_ , the rubber boy decided, releasing his find. _I’m gonna find them!_

Hopping up, he clambered up the nearest palm tree with all the ease of a true monkey, scanning the canopy and squinting to see a flash of lighter green or pink-

“Whoa!” Luffy cheered, taking in the long-necked creature that towered over even his new vantage point. “I’ll definitely find them from up there!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A volcano gave three bursts of smoke in the distance, and Hikari frowned as the usual tremors died down with one large CRASH, turning from the pile of thoroughly-battered raptors at her feet.

The trees were swaying out of sync with the breeze, and a deep silence fell over the jungle then, as if every creature was frozen in terror.

 _Better go figure out what those idiots did now_ …

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zoro was not entirely sure how he ended up in this situation, but it was certainly not ideal.

Stuck more than ankle-deep in iron-hard wax, attached to a gigantic wax construct with a spinning, candle-topped section overhead that was slowly covering him, Nami and Vivi, the swordsman knew he was in no position to free any of them.

His earlier attempt to do so had him bleeding from deep slices in each leg, and that left Luffy alone to face down four Baroque Works officers with only Usopp and Karoo as back-up, Broggy the giant thoroughly pinned in his own wax prison and Dorry already out for the count.

At this rate, Zoro would be a statue before-

THUNK!

Everyone paused, and a grin spread across Luffy’s face as a familiar form spun into the air from behind the Giant Candle Service Set, two metallic cables trailing behind her in an arc.

“HEY, ASSHATS!!!”

Mister Three’s eyes went comically wide as the downward swing of her tonfa heralded a deafening CRACK, pulling the entire spinning section of his creation free of its mooring and flying towards him like the striking head of a flail.

“FUCK OFF!!!”

“Nose Fancy Double Cannon!”

The impromptu projectile shattered in a deep cloud of smoke, Mister Five smirking triumphantly.

“You’ll have to do better than that this ti-”

Eyes bugged out of their sockets when Hikari burst through the smokescreen, her feet slamming into his smug face and sending him flying into Miss Valentine with a spectacular delayed explosion, which propelled her into a roundhouse that smashed Mister Three’s face through a tree.

Miss Goldenweek stiffened as the pinkette rose, turning molten gold eyes her way, and fell over like a board in a dead faint before the smoke had even dissipated overhead.

“Kari-chan!” Nami blubbered, relieved to the point of tears, and Hikari blinked the gold away as she turned back towards her trapped crew-mates.

“I can’t leave any of you alone for _five minutes_.” She scolded, an elastic SNAP heralding Luffy’s sudden attachment to her back, grinning rubber-wide.

“Kari! That was so cool!”

“I-I could’ve done that!” Usopp boasted, though he had collapsed into a boneless heap with Karoo. “B-But you did good too, Kari…”

Vivi squeaked as the wax gave a deafening CRACK below her, blinking when Virgo appeared to offer a hand.

“Are you well, Vivi-sama?”

“I am now, thank you.” The princess stated, relieved, as she was carefully lifted free of her prison.

“Hime, Zoro appears to be leaking.” The Celestial Spirit noted, and Hikari whipped around as said swordsman pulled himself out of the wax with a wince, pants sticking to his skin wetly.

“Holy fuck, what happened to you?!”

“I’m fine.” Zoro grunted, ears burning when she vaulted up and almost shoved him down, eyes wide.

“He tried to cut off his feet!” Nami tattled, earning a glare while Virgo helped her down, and Luffy squeezed tighter at the startled squeak Hikari released.

“WHAT!?!”

“How else was I going to get free and fight?!” He defended, and Luffy wisely curled himself into a hidden little ball on her back.

“HOW WERE YOU GOING TO FIGHT WITHOUT FEET, YOU FUCKING MORON!?!”

Luffy barely made room for her to rip the fabric of her top off, biting back a snicker at how red Zoro turned.

“What are you doing?!”

“I’m making bandages, what does it look like?!” The key-holder barked back, tearing the clothing into usable strips, and Virgo shook her head fondly as she helped Vivi down onto the grass.

“Put a shirt on!”

“You’re bleeding everywhere! What does it matter if I have a shirt or not?!”

Usopp covered Karoo’s eyes as Hikari, dragging a laughing Luffy along for the ride, wrestled Zoro into submission with a litany of colorful curses.

“Is this...normal?” Vivi wondered, unsure if she should be witness to this, and Nami snickered.

“You have _no idea_.”

“There.” Hikari growled, tightening one last knot on her makeshift bandages with a glare. “That’s your one stupid decision on this island, so don’t go making another one!”

“OI!”

“Spica Lock.” Virgo intoned, snapping her fingers to encase first Mister Five, then Miss Valentine and Miss Goldenweek, in boulders-

“Wax Wax Art Harpoon!”

Hikari jolted at the unexpected shout, grabbing Luffy by the scruff of his neck and tossing him hard enough into Zoro’s chest that they skidded out of range-

“KARI!”

She turned to face the incoming projectile, tonfa rising to deflect-

“HIME!”

And her eyes widened, horrified, as it pierced through Virgo’s chest.

Lurching back onto his feet, Luffy saw the pain crack across her face before his eyes landed on the half-disintegrated Spirit, expression blank.

“You should give up now.” Mister Three taunted, fingers dripping like wax as Virgo faded back through her Gate. “It would appear you picked a fight with the wrong people! We’re the most intellectual team in all of Baroque Works! I am Mister Three! I carry out all assignments given to me flawlessly!”

Zoro grit his teeth, reaching to draw Wado and slice that man’s head clean from his shoulders for hurting Virgo, for making Hikari _look like that_ -

“Gum Gum-”

Luffy’s roar shattered any further boasts, and Vivi jumped as his foot stretched to slam into a startled Mister Three’s face.

“STAMP!”

Nami and Usopp stared at the moss-covered boulder their remaining adversary had effectively been buried in, turning back to their captain as he snorted like a bull and faced a quiet Hikari.

“Don’t do stupid things like that, Kari!”

Blinking the fog from her eyes, she reared up with a scowl, right hand clamped white-knuckled around the ring of keys at her hip.

“Who are you calling stupid, idiot?!”

“Were you trying to get skewered?!” Zoro barked, and Hikari turned to glare at him now.

“I had it under control!”

“You didn’t have to! Stubborn woman!”

“I can take care of myself!”

“We’re nakama!” Luffy burst, grabbing the pinkette firmly by the shoulders to fix her with a fierce look. “We take care of each other! So don’t be stupid and get hurt when we can help!”

Hikari pulled up short at this, anger melting away into something almost-

And then it began to rain tears.

Zoro could not help the snicker that slipped free as everyone tried to shield themselves from the downpour, Luffy shaking himself like a dog and Hikari sputtering at the extra spray as heaving sobs soon followed like rolls of thunder.

“What the fuck-?”

“I understand how you feel, Mister Broggy!” Usopp wailed in sympathy, rubbing back his own tears.

“You’re right!” The giant blubbered. “Nakama are so important! And Dorry…”

This caused the deluge to increase, rainbows splintering off near his head from the spray, and Hikari sighed, giving in to having her hair and bra and shorts soaked in salty tears.

“What the fuck did I miss?”

“A lot.” Zoro answered, unmoved by the unnatural storm.

Then the other giant sat up.

“It seems I blacked out…” He muttered groggily as Broggy was thoroughly startled from his despair. “It’s probably because of the weapons…”

“Weapons?” Usopp echoed before perking up. “Oh, yeah! Not even Elbaf weapons could keep up with two giants fighting to the death for a hundred years straight! It’s a huge miracle!”

Absorbing this, Hikari sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

“I...I don’t even want to know…”

“Hey, Broggy, don’t hold onto me!” Dorry complained when his fellow giant latched on like an octopus in joy. “That hurts my wounds!”

“I’m so glad you’re alive, friend of mine!”

“Miracle, my ass.” Zoro denied, smirking as he forced himself up. “It’s only natural. The fact those weapons are still intact after a hundred years of constant bashing and clanging is even crazier. As are their owners.”

“What a wonderful day today is!” Broggy declared, still emotional. “I thank you, God of Elbaf!”

“Oh, Broggy? Was chopping me down and knocking me out that happy for you?”

“You dimwit! That ain’t what I’m saying!”

“Ow! Don’t touch my wounds!”

The pair of giants soon devolved into what was essentially a slap fight, Luffy cheering them on with all the enthusiasm of a wrestling fan, and the pinkette tried to shake off a smile.

 _Boys_.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We had completely forgotten about the bounties on our heads.” Dorry admitted, freshly bandaged and laughing.

“But I was the reason they came to this island in the first place…” Vivi admitted, yelping when Nami grabbed her cheek and Hikari reached over to smack her upside the head.

“Oi, quit that!”

“Yeah, Vivi, what are you down in the dumps for?” Luffy agreed, munching on a rice cracker as Usopp and Karoo dug through the bag. “Wanna rice cracker?”

Rolling her eyes, Hikari winced at an unexpected sting and slapped a hand to her bare stomach, frowning at the pinking circle of skin near her belly button.

“What’s wrong?” Zoro asked immediately, turning from shaking the last bits of wax from his shirt.

“Just a bug bite.” She muttered, squeaking when white cloth fell over her head and flailing to find the arm holes to give the swordsman a ruffled, disgruntled look.

“If you didn’t keep losing your shirt, we wouldn’t have to keep giving you ours.” He stated defensively, ears burning at seeing her swamped in the familiar fabric, the hem gaping on slim shoulders.

“Hey, waiting a year for the Log Pose to point to the next island is serious!” Nami cut through her retort, frowning at the device on her wrist. “This is no laughing matter!”

“You saved us.” Broggy noted, smiling. “We would like to thank you in some way.”

“In that case, you old guys can do something about our Log!” Luffy decided, grinning at his solution as Hikari tied up the cloth hanging near her knees into a knot.

“I’m afraid Logs are the only thing we can’t help you with.” Dorry admitted apologetically, before a familiar voice finally joined them.

“Nami-san! Hikari-hime! Vivi-san! And you other bums. You’re okay! Thank goodness!”

“Where the fuck have you been?” Hikari demanded, Usopp blustering.

“That jerk suddenly shows up only _after_ we need help!”

“What in the hell?” Sanji shouted upon spotting the giants, taken aback. “Are _you_ Mister Three?!”

“Hey, how do _you_ know about Mister Three?” Nami wondered, brow furrowing in confusion.

“I just finished talking with Mister Zero via Transponder Snail.”

“You talked to the boss?!” Vivi sputtered, wide-eyed, and Sanji shrugged.

“Yeah. I found this weird hideout in the jungle, you see. He seemed to think I was Mister Three, so I told him I eliminated everyone.”

“So he thinks we’re dead.” Hikari concluded, starting to smile.

“So we’re finally free of people chasing us, but we can’t go anywhere!” Usopp lamented, sagging dramatically.

“Can’t go anywhere?” Sanji echoed, surprised. “Do we still have business on this island? Just after I managed to get ahold of this, too…”

And pulled out an Eternal Pose.

“An Eternal Pose to Alabasta?” Hikari realized, lighting up with joy as the crew cheered.

“Hurray!”

“Now we can set sail!”

“Way to go, Sanji-kun!”

“Let’s go, captain!” Nami declared, accepting the unique compass carefully. “We don’t have time to be lounging around!”

“Oh, yeah!” The cook remembered, turning to glare at Zoro. “Hey, you! You haven’t forgotten our hunting contest, I hope!”

“Nope, but I win.” The swordsman assured smugly. “I caught a huge rhino.”

“If either of you says one more word about that hunting contest, I’m leaving you both here.” Hikari growled, causing Zoro to grumble while Sanji went all heart-eye, noodling.

“Your so dominating, Hikari-hime!”

BAM!

Snickering as their cook was knocked flat, Luffy grinned up at their hosts.

“Alright, old round guy and giant old guy! We’re gonna go now!”

“Oh, I see.” Broggy conceded, a bit disappointed. “Well, you do seem to be in a hurry.”

“That’s too bad, but we won’t stop you.” Dorry agreed. “I hope your homeland is okay.”

“Yes, thank you.” Vivi accepted graciously, and Hikari smacked at Zoro’s shoulder as he snickered over Sanji’s pain.

“Oi! Keep that up, and you’re next!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Watching Zoro and Sanji bicker over which of their kills was larger and how to butcher them, Hikari rubbed at her temple with a sigh.

“How long are you gonna keep at that?” Nami complained, annoyed at their continued arguing. “We don’t need all of it, so cut up what we _do_ need so we can set sail.”

“Yes, Nami-san!”

“Can’t you call it a tie?” Vivi offered, hoping to mediate, and Zoro scowled.

“There are no ties in a challenge.”

“There’s no winner if I have to go down there.” Hikari warned, and _that_ jump-started the pair into action.

Rising cautiously from the water, still guilty over having abandoned the ship when Broggy appeared, Momoo helped lift the wrapped cuts of meat aboard with both flippers until the storeroom was filled to the brim.

“You’re lucky Virgo’s holding all our treasure!” Nami had pointed out to Luffy, who was hanging off the railing and lamenting what was being left behind.

Patting his hat, Hikari settled next to him as Momoo shrugged back into his harness and Zoro raised the anchor.

“They said going straight will take us to the western end of the island.” Nami remembered, consulting their Eternal Pose as they bobbed down the river.

“Kari?” Luffy voiced, head turning at a tremor in her hand, and she gripped the railing with one hand for a moment before steadying.

“I’m fine.”

Pouting, Luffy was distracted by a sudden movement ahead, and perked up.

“Look, it’s the old guys! They came to see us off!”

Indeed, Broggy and Dorry were standing on either side of the river’s mouth, facing out to sea with weapons in hand like some grand, mountainous statues.

“Ahead is a great obstacle…”

“That prevents people who come to this island from reaching the next...You fought desperately to protect our pride.”

“As such, no matter what manner of enemy there may be…”

“We will not let them destroy your pride, friends!”

“Have faith in us, and continue straight ahead! Straight ahead, no matter what happens!”

“Well, _that_ doesn’t sound ominous…” Hikari muttered, straightening as a hand fell to her keys.

“Got it.” Luffy decided, nodding, as Momoo murmured tearfully. “We’ll go straight ahead, no matter what!”

“This is goodbye.” Broggy intoned as the Going Merry was tugged past into open water.

“Let’s meet again someday.” Dorry agreed, solemn.

“Without fail.”

The ocean swelled, spilling off a massive form rising from the depths-

To reveal a massive goldfish.

“You have _got_ to be kidding me.” Hikari muttered as Momoo squealed, almost backpedaling. “Steady! Straight ahead, Momoo!”

“Are you crazy?!” Nami protested as said sea-cow audibly balked. “We’re gonna get eaten!”

“They said to have faith, right?” The pinkette retorted firmly, and Luffy grinned.

“Yeah, of course! Right, Usopp?”

“Y-Yeah!” The sniper agreed, knees knocking. “Straight ahead!”

Gathering himself, Momoo nodded and threw himself forward against the harness as water rushed towards the goldfish’s gaping maw.

“Don’t be stupid!” Nami shouted as Luffy jumped onto his usual perch on Hikari’s back and Zoro gripped the railing, bracketing them in. “This won’t be like what happened with Laboon!”

“I know, calm down.” The rubber boy assured, offering the empty snack bag. “Here, I’ll let you have the last rice cracker.”

“I don’t want it! If we don’t turn the ship, we’re gonna be-”

“HOLD ON!” Hikari warned as water gushed around them over the goldfish’s lip and sent the Going Merry careening into darkness.

“Straight ahead!” Usopp kept shouting on repeat to stave off his panic as they raced down, and Nami growled in frustration.

“Kari-chan, call Aquarius! Or Leo! _Somebody_ to-”

And then there was light.

Momoo broke the water before the Going Merry plopped safely in the frothing ripples behind him, sagging with relief as wind caught in their sails.

Luffy laughed, swaying on her shoulders, and Zoro smirked as he poked the tattoo on the back of her hand, the colors shimmering green for a moment.

_Worried?_

The pinkette shook her head, a smile tipping her mouth as their captain started a rousing victory chant.

 _Not for a second_.


	11. Drum Island Arc

As if in apology, the Grand Line was calm on their way out of Little Garden, the waves gently rocking the Merry like a rubber duck in a tub.

Leaning back on the railing, Hikari smiled as she watched the crew settle into this rare lull, content.

Nami was walking up towards the bow-side deck, keeping an eye on the Eternal Pose in her hands, while Sanji disappeared into the kitchen with a promise of ‘wonderful snacks for the beautiful ladies’, which only fueled Luffy’s victory dance competition against a tiring, laughing Usopp.

Vivi was sitting on the aft-side stairs, smoothing a rattled Karoo’s feathers as he tried to huddle on her lap, and Zoro yawned as he headed up on the other side, looking for a quiet place to nap.

Pressing a hand to her forehead, Hikari winced at the pressure behind her eyes, vision growing sensitive to the sunlight.

 _It’s probably stress_ , she rationalized, eyes closing for a moment. _Maybe I can just sleep it off_...

That was certainly tempting right now, tired and achy as she felt, and the pinkette pushed off the railing-

Blinking black spots out of her eyes, Hikari found seven very worried faces hovering over her, a familiar calloused hand laying on her forehead.

“She’s burning up.” Zoro grunted, hefting the key-holder into his arms immediately and rising.

“I’m fine.” Hikari protested, tongue slurring a touch in her mouth as she slapped weakly at his shoulder. “Just tired…”

“But you shouldn’t _be_ tired!” Nami argued, a worried scowl in place as Luffy scrambled up Zoro’s back to peer at her flushed face. “You barely summoned Virgo at all!”

“Is Kari sick?” Usopp worried, and Momoo whined in fright at this possibility, collapsing against the railing in tears alongside Sanji.

“I’m not sick!” Hikari argued, though the cold sweat breaking out on clammy skin and the unhealthy pinkness to her face said differently.

“Hikari-san needs to rest.” Vivi soothed, hoping to keep their concerns from further riling her. “Bushido-san, could you take her down to our quarters? I’ll grab some water and rags.”

“Am I talking to air?” The pinkette complained as Zoro ducked through into the storage room.

“You’re being stupid again.” The swordsman retorted, Luffy stretching out an arm to open the door for him.

“Don’t be so rough, moss-head!” Sanji berated, hovering like an overprotective mother bird as he followed them down the stairs. “Hikari-hime isn’t like those swords of yours! She’s delicate!”

“Come a little closer, I’ll show you _delicate_.” She growled, swatting at the oblivious blonde.

“Back off, shitty cook!”

“Hey, Kari.” Luffy voiced, clambering further up onto Zoro’s shoulders despite his protests. “Are you really sick? You look sick…”

“I’m fine.” She insisted, grumbling as the swordsman gently set her into bed and pulled the covers up.

“I’ll need to take your temperature, just to be sure.” Vivi reasoned, placing a bowl of cool water on a nearby nightstand to remove the protective cover on the little thermometer dug up from their First Aid Kit. “Here.”

Mumbling mutinously, Hikari allowed the tip to be placed under her tongue, and Luffy yelped like he was scorched when touching a palm to her forehead.

“HOT!”

“Is Hikari-hime gonna die?” Sanji fretted, fluttering about the room. “Is she, Vivi-chan?”

“It’s most likely the climate.” The princess reasoned as Usopp joined them, practically invisible behind the mound of blankets and pillows he had found made from Aries’ heaven-soft wool. “One of the obstacles all sailors who enter the Grand Line run into is illness caused by abnormal weather. There are countless stories of tough, notorious pirates suddenly dying from this. Carelessness makes even the slightest case deadly.”

Zoro’s scowl deepened as the cook collapsed into a blubbering heap and Usopp ran into Nami’s desk with a yelp of shock, and Hikari pulled out the thermometer with a glare.

“Oi, don’t be giving them ideas. It’s just a fever.”

“A fever of forty degrees celsius.” The younger countered, and Usopp’s jaw dropped with the blankets.

“Forty?!”

“I’ve always run warm.” She defended, trying to swallow a cough. “It’s not a big deal…”

“You don’t run _this_ hot.” Zoro countered, sitting at the head of the bed with one hand tangling in her ponytail. “You’re almost on fire.”

“But eating meat makes sickness go away!” Luffy declared, perking up. “Right, Sanji?”

“I _can_ make some basic food meant for sick people, but that’s entirely in ‘nursing’ territory.” The blonde explained, sniffling, as he joined Usopp in piling the blankets on an exasperated Hikari. “There’s no guarantee it’d make her better. Besides, I normally put a hundred times more care into Nami-san, Hikari-hime and Vivi-chan’s meals than I do with yours. I serve them fresh meat and vegetables, for balanced nutrition, and I give all the rotting stuff to you guys.”

“Hey, now!” Usopp protested, though Luffy just grinned.

“It’s still good, though!”

“In any case, as long as I’m this ship’s cook, there’ll be no problems whatsoever in terms of getting a balanced diet. But there are different kinds of meals for sick people.”

“Not sick.” Hikari voiced stubbornly, muttering as Vivi placed a cool cloth on her forehead and Luffy wiggled off Zoro’s back to squeeze against the wall to cuddle.

“What are her symptoms? What does she need? I can’t make that call.” Sanji concluded, fussing with the blankets as the unlit cigarette in his teeth crinkled.

“Then she can just eat it all!” The rubber boy decided, and the pinkette coughed out a laugh as Zoro rolled his eyes on a smile.

“She’s sick because she doesn’t have the energy for that!”

“There’ll be doctors when we get to Alabasta, right?” Usopp hoped, tucking in the edges. “How much longer will it take, Vivi?”

“I don’t know, but one week is out of the question.”

“Is being sick that bad?” Luffy wondered, Sanji and Usopp shrugging in time with Zoro.

“Dunno. Never been sick…”

“Who in the world are you guys?!” Vivi burst, startled at this declaration. “Of course it’s bad! Forty degree fevers don’t happen every day! This may be a life-threatening illness!”

Hikari deflated on a sigh as Luffy, Sanji and Usopp proceeded to freak out.

“Kari’s gonna die?!”

“Don’t die, Hikari-hime!”

“No, Kari!”

“Thank you.” She drawled, leaning into Zoro’s thigh. “We really needed them to panic. That’ll solve all our problems.”

“Let’s find a doctor to help Kari!” Luffy decided, wrapping tighter around her like an octopus, and Vivi nodded quickly.

“Okay, just calm down! You’re going to make her illness even worse!”

“Don’t you _fucking dare_.” Hikari growled, cutting through their hysterics. “We’re going straight to Alabasta.”

“Oh, she’s all better!” Luffy cheered, and Usopp reached over to knock him upside the head.

“Get real!”

“We don’t have time for this.” The pinkette insisted, smacking weakly at Zoro’s arm when he pulled both of them into his lap. “We have to get to Alabasta as fast as we can…There’s a newspaper, there…”

Popping to his feet, Usopp dug said paper from a drawer in Nami’s desk and handed it over to Vivi, who flipped through-

“No!” She nearly shouted, horrified. “That can’t be!”

“Hey, what is it?” Luffy wondered, pressing his cheek to Hikari’s hair as Zoro adjusted them to lie comfortably between his legs and against his chest despite her complaints.

“Is it about Alabasta, Vivi-chan?” Sanji worried, further upset by her distress.

“Three-hundred-thousand royal soldiers defected to the Resistance…” She reported numbly, paper crinkling in her hands. “It was originally a cold war, with six-hundred-thousand royal soldiers and four-hundred-thousand Resistance soldiers… But now that’s suddenly changed.”

“That came out three days ago…” Hikari admitted, breath shaky with effort. “There’s no more time...We have to get to Alabasta…”

“You’re sick.” Zoro argued, fingers twitching at the heat seeping into him from her skin.

“It’s a little cold…” She argued, though even Luffy seemed unconvinced, feeling the tremble just under clammy skin and her half-mast eyes. “I don’t need a doctor, so stop worrying about me...If we don’t head to Alabasta now, millions of people could die…”

“ _You_ could die!” The swordsman snapped, and Sanji stayed silent.

“I’m not more important than a million people.” She bit out, stubborn, and Luffy squeezed closer with a scowl.

“Stop being stupid, Kari.”

“I promised I’d get Vivi to Alabasta, and I’m getting her there.”

“You can’t do that if you’re sick.” The rubber boy argued, blinking as Vivi forced her spine upright, expression set.

“I have a favor to ask.” She voiced with calm conviction, stopping their circular bickering. “I know it’s not my place to ask this as a passenger on your ship, but my homeland is in a terrible state now, so I’d like to hurry ahead. We can’t waste even a single minute, so I want this ship to head for Alabasta at its fastest speed.”

Zoro’s arms tightened around the pinkette, Luffy curling protectively around her smaller frame, until Vivi’s expression cleared.

“So let’s find an island with a doctor on it right away. Let’s cure Hikari-san as quickly as possible, and then go to Alabasta! That’s this ship’s fastest speed, right?”

Hikari blinked at her, disbelieving, as Luffy lit up.

“Yeah! We can’t go any faster than that!”

“Are you sure?” Usopp checked. “As their princess, you should be worried about those million citizens.”

Zoro’s glare nearly gave the sharpshooter a heart attack right there as Vivi waved off his concerns.

“That’s right, so we need to hurry and cure Hikari-san’s illness.”

“Well said, Vivi-chan!” Sanji praised. “I’ve fallen for you all over again!”

“You…”

Luffy paused at the waver in her voice, and Zoro glanced down to see a sheen of tears in those dark eyes as Hikari looked at all of them, like she had never expected this.

“Why?”

“You’re our nakama.” Luffy reminded her, just like back in Little Garden.

“Nakama looks out for each other.” Zoro agreed, Usopp’s lip wobbling as he nodded quickly in agreement.

“We couldn’t do this without you, Kari!”

“There’s no way I could allow your beauty to fade in this cruel world!” Sanji proclaimed, sincere even in his dramatics, and Nami laughed from where she stood on the staircase, smiling.

“You can’t leave me with this lot that easily!”

Biting on her lip, Hikari turned to hide her face in Zoro’s chest, the tears hanging off dark lashes brushing off on his skin.

“Stubborn idiots…” She forced out, shaky, and Luffy pressed closer, looking to their navigator.

“Alright, let’s hurry, then! Let’s go find us a doctor!”

“On it, captain!”

“Now stop being stupid and rest.” Zoro ordered, settling against the wall and pulling the blankets up around both the people in his lap.

With a sigh, heavy lids finally closed, and neither captain nor swordsman noticed the rest of their crew depart, Nami shutting the door firmly before shouting orders across the deck.

“You heard him! Momoo, get in your harness and head for the nearest island! Usopp, take the rudder!”

“Aye aye!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Her fever has gone up again.” Vivi noted softly, wiping down the thermometer as Zoro wrung out a cool cloth to temper the fever raging under Hikari’s skin.

“What do we do, Vivi-chan?” Sanji worried, Karoo trundling along in his panicked wake as the cook ran back and forth to bring broth and water and blankets. “Hikari-hime’s fever won’t go down!”

Luffy frowned as he pressed a hand to the pinkette’s neck, heat permeating his palm as she subconsciously leaned into the contact.

She had only swallowed a few mouthfuls of soup, usual appetite gone, and it made this gaping maw open in the rubber boy’s chest.

The thought of just _not being hungry_ was almost horrifying, and his unease with this development was not helped by Zoro’s deepening frown.

This was like seeing Hikari succumb to that paralyzing poison all over again, only without knowing what was wrong or what could be done to fix it, and no easy target to release the frustration on.

All of her sleep was restless, tossing and turning and obviously uncomfortable, not even tipping towards dreams, and it set the swordsman on edge.

Was this what Hikari had felt like, after his fight with Mihawk?

How she had felt when Luffy disappeared in Arlong Park?

Helpless, wondering if she had done enough?

The Going Merry jerked violently, nearly toppling Vivi over as Luffy and Zoro immediately grabbed onto a startled Hikari, keeping her in place while Sanji almost fell on his face.

“Hold the rudder!” The cook shouted up the stairs, surprise giving way to annoyance. “If anything happens to Hikari-hime, I’ll gut you!”

Luffy frowned when all that came back was a startled cry from Momoo that rattled through the ship, and Hikari blinked blearily as she was set down alone on the mattress, coughing out what might have been a question as captain and swordsman followed Sanji upstairs.

“We’ll be right back.”

“Vivi, take care of Kari while we’re gone!”

With a nod, the princess watched them disappear back on deck before grabbing a glass of water, offering the straw to a disoriented Hikari as she roused fully.

“What’s going on?” She forced out after a sip, tongue heavy in her mouth, and Vivi frowned as she rewet the cloth Zoro had left behind.

“I’m not sure, but it’s probably alright.”

“Have you met these people?” The pinkette muttered, shoving herself up and kicking the mound of blankets off.

“Hikari-san, you should be resting!”

“Like I can rest with those idiots running around up there.” She brushed off, getting to her feet and staggering stubbornly on shaky legs, not giving a thought to her soft cotton pajama pants or the pink t-shirt with a picture of two adorable cartoon kittens napping in the shape of a heart.

“Hikari-san, you’ve already fainted once, you shouldn’t overexert yourself!” Vivi protested, afraid to upset her balance by grabbing a shoulder and following the key-holder up anxiously.

“I’m fine.” Hikari insisted, though she leaned heavily on the railing.

Then there was a heavy CRUNCH and a pained cry, and her eyes bled gold.

Everyone on deck froze as a door flew off its hinges and through a group of soldiers, locking onto a furious Hikari as her molten eyes swept over the standoff.

The deck was full of unfamiliar faces, all wearing the same uniform of dark, fur-trimmed coats and boots with matching hats, their massive steampunk-ship towering high over the Merry from mere feet away, and their captain on the port-side railing where a good chunk of the wood had been broken off in his oversized maw, Momoo bleeding from a similar bite wound on his cheek and crying.

Luffy froze where he was perched on a crate, and Zoro could almost feel her rage like a heat haze, pupils contracting into slits that cut right to Wapol.

“I don’t give a fuck who you think you are.” She hissed out, holding onto the very last shred of control by forcing her body still. “But if you don’t get off our fucking ship in the next thirty seconds, you’re all going to be _corpses_.”

Nami and Usopp were moments away from rattling the entire Merry with how hard their knees were knocking, rightfully terrified of her fury-

And Wapol laughed.

On any other day, this would hardly phase Hikari at all.

Wapol was clearly a moron, even more than Luffy, and his opinion on her threat would hardly change the outcome or the fact that he was very wrong.

But this was not any other day.

Hikari was exhausted, achy, feverish, cold and frustrated long before these people had decided to forcibly board, and this obvious dismissal, rather than rolling off her back, snapped the very last thread of her restraint like a guillotine.

Luffy’s eyes went wide as her entire form _shifted_ , bones morphing under tanned skin as it hardened into golden-silver scales, features morphing while crystalline horns sprouted, twisting back into many jagged points almost like antlers, and her fingers sharpened into claws.

A tearing of cloth, and great reptilian wings fanned in the air, glinting silver over gold, sleek and awe-inspiring, and her mouth opened to reveal deadly fangs in a roar that seemed to make the entire Grand Line quake.

In that moment, Luffy and Zoro had the same thought.

 _Damn, she’s beautiful_.

Light bled off her scales like steam, and the swordsman was strangely proud at the dawning terror on their enemies’ faces just before Hikari moved.

Rearing back, the energy coalesced off her hand like a whip, wrapping around Wapol’s body and snapping back, his subordinates watching with wide eyes as he was sent flying towards the horizon with a rapidly-fading scream before turning back to see Hikari staring back with slit-pupil golden eyes.

A low growl rumbled across the deck, as if from some titanic beast, and Momoo blinked in awe as the soldiers went scrambling back aboard their own ship, their superiors shouting threats even as they quickly reversed and sped off after their captain.

“Hey, Kari’s all better!” Luffy cheered, leaping with joy-

“Hikari-san!” Vivi yelped, barely catching the pinkette before she toppled over unconscious, scales and claws and horns and wings fading away into stardust across the deck.

“Shit!” Zoro cursed, rushing to pick Hikari up before the snow seeped into what remained of her clothes, and Luffy was right there a moment later, pressing a hand to her neck with wide eyes.

“What happened?!” Nami demanded, shoving Usopp off so she could lean over the railing. “Is she okay?!”

“She’s alive.”

The crew jumped, Usopp leaping onto Sanji like a frightened cat, and turned to stare as Leo stepped up, expression somber.

“But I’m afraid there’s a lot we need to discuss, if she’s going to stay that way.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Kari’s a _dragon_?” Luffy repeated, eyes wide in awe, and a smile tipped Leo’s mouth as he smoothed the Aries-wool blanket over a sleeping Hikari while the rubber boy cuddled closer.

“Yes, she is. The Dragneel family has a long history of Fire Dragons, though her nature as a key-holder seems to have caused it to manifest as a Celestial Dragon instead.”

“I’d heard stories, but I didn’t think dragons were real!” Nami admitted, and Usopp flailed his arms.

“Since when was Kari a dragon?!”

“Since always.” Leo replied simply as Zoro pressed a hand to her forehead. “Hikari-hime was born a dragon, just like her ancestors, but unlike them, she’s repressed her draconic instincts all this time. It’s likely that being sick wore down her defenses, and such a blatant threat on her territory was all it took to push her transformation.”

“Her territory?” Zoro echoed, brow furrowing, and the Celestial Spirit shrugged.

“Dragons are highly territorial and pack-oriented. You all are her pack and the Going Merry is her nest, so her inner dragon is highly protective of all of you.”

“Well, we knew _that_.” Usopp noted, holding his chin thoughtfully. “She took on the Black Cat Pirates all alone, remember?”

“And she’s beaten up Buggy twice now for threatening Luffy.” Nami agreed, humming.

“Hikari-hime even attacked Mihawk to protect the shitty swordsman.” Sanji added, earning a glare.

“Oi!”

“Some aspects of her inner dragon have been bleeding through, so to speak.” Leo acknowledged, expression growing troubled. “But because she’s suppressed so much, using her draconic powers will likely take a large toll on her body before she can adjust. Being so sick...It’s not safe for Hikari-hime to be giving in to her dragon right now.”

Luffy’s excited grin immediately dimmed at that, gaze falling to her feverish face as Hikari breathed heavily, as if the simple act of filling her lungs was laborious.

“You mean she’s gotten worse?” Vivi realized, horrified, and Leo nodded.

“Hikari-hime would not be the first dragon to die by pushing past their limits.”

“WHAT!?!” Usopp and Sanji wailed, Nami going pale, and Luffy was suddenly firmly attached to the sleeping key-holder, a hand pressed over her heart to feel the beat as Zoro tugged both closer on his lap, jaw locked tight.

“ _Stupid_.”

“I can buy Hikari-hime some time.” Leo assured, starlight coalescing in his hand. “As a Celestial Dragon, she can consume the energy from heavenly bodies to regain strength. My power is drawn from the star Regulus, so she should…”

Holding his palm close to the pinkette’s mouth, the crew leaned in as Hikari reflexively breathed in, the light disappearing inside her like a candle’s flame suddenly sputtering out, and dark eyes fluttered open a moment later.

“...Okay, when did Luffy Gum Gum Rocket into my head?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zoro would never say so out loud, not with Luffy rocking restlessly on the bed, but he was worried.

Hikari’s fever had crested at a too-high forty-one degrees celsius, and now Leo’s regular visits to feed her starlight only roused her for a few minutes at most before she slipped back into a fitful half-sleep.

Frowning at the untouched bowl of broth on the nightstand, steam wafting off the surface, Luffy poked at the pinkette’s cheek repeatedly.

“Hey, Kari. Come on, Kari, you gotta eat.”

“Let her sleep.” Zoro advised, though he also glanced towards the meager breakfast. “You know she hasn’t been hungry.”

“She hasn’t eaten since lunch!” The rubber boy protested, almost scandalized. “ _Yesterday_! Kari’s sick, so Kari needs to eat lots! Like when she summons Aquarius!”

“Luffy-”

The swordsman choked on a protest as his captain grabbed Hikari by the shoulders and started shaking her liberally.

“Kari! Kari, wake-”

It was not Hikari that woke up.

Luffy froze when a low growl cut through his words, gold cat-slit eyes flashing open with none of the human recognition he expected, and yelped when he was suddenly flipped over.

Zoro jolted, but went still when he realized what was happening.

Instead of disemboweling him, as expected of a vulnerable beast when prodded once too often, Luffy was abruptly pinned, her face buried in his neck as a low purr rumbled out.

Blinking owlishly, the straw-hat boy tipped his head back to share a glance with Zoro, who shrugged.

“Uh...Kari?”

A sharp growl cut him off again, pressing Luffy further into the mattress, and when he made no further move to speak, that pleased purr resumed.

“I think that means ‘shut up and let me sleep’.” Zoro muttered, yelping when a surprisingly-strong hand grabbed him by the hip and yanked the swordsman down-

Luffy giggled at how pink his crew-mate’s ears turned, barely able to breathe from how firmly he was squished between her breasts, and whined when a large palm smacked him upside the head for it.

The dragon perched above them just purred, eyes closing into a peaceful sleep.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you sure she’s not just hungry?”

Slitting an eye open, Hikari snorted weakly at how stuffed Luffy’s cheeks were as Vivi and Sanji turned incredulous looks his way.

“If so, she should eat enough meat for a hundred people! Eating meat makes sickness go away!”

“I thought you’d never been sick…” The pinkette replied, voice gone gravelly and nearly hoarse, and the straw-hat boy grinned around his next mouthful of meatloaf.

“Exactly!”

“Look, you…” Sanji began, clearly tired, just as Luffy swallowed and began to tie his rubbery features into new configurations.

“Come on! Cheer up! Look! Look!”

Coughing out a laugh, Hikari pressed a hand to her aching diaphragm, and he lit up.

“Oi!” Zoro warned, coming down the stairs from his bathroom break and meal run with a fresh bowl of water. “She’s supposed to be sleeping!”

“Kari doesn’t sleep unless we’re both here, Zoro!” Luffy defended, pouting. “Besides, won’t her fever go down if we dump water on her?”

Three distinct BAMs knocked him across the room, and Hikari swallowed the last of her giggles as a calloused palm pressed for a pulse.

“Laughing isn’t going to kill me…” She pointed out as the swordsman sat at the head of the bed once more, grumbling. “The water might, though.”

“Rest.” He ordered, ignoring Sanji’s dramatics when she settled against his lap.

There was something calming in Zoro’s scent, behind the metallic hint of tempered steel and the butterscotch of good beer, and the pinkette relaxed into him as Luffy scampered back onto the bed with a giggle, his scent like sea-salt and fresh barbecue, safe and just as warm.

Hikari had no idea she fell asleep until waking up in the dark, Zoro’s heart beating steadily against her cheek and Luffy’s snores ruffling her hair.

Eyes glinting with night-shine, she spotted Karoo flopped over in a corner, Usopp leaning against him with his head tipped back, a wool hat covering his head that she had made him to accommodate his new goggles.

The sharpshooter had blubbered when Nami dug it out alongside the other winter-wear she crocheted, tracing his personal Jolly Roger that had been dyed into the fabric like a pattern and refusing to remove it.

Vivi was asleep on the other bed, curled up in the thick coat that Hikari had dyed a deep royal purple for her only a couple days before, hidden inside the fur-rimmed hood that was the fluffy white of Moro’s fur.

Sanji was sitting by the footboard, cigarette hanging precariously from his lips as he slept, thumb still rubbing over the soft light blue gloves she had made for him, the palms covered in stitched leather patches.

The sight of them had made the cook light up, gushing about how thoughtful Hikari-hime was and how perfect they were until Zoro had snapped at him, causing a fight that Nami had broken up with two well-placed punches.

The redhead must have been up on deck with Momoo, keeping course in the night, likely wearing the princess-cut jacket that Hikari had carefully dyed a tangerine orange with golden buttons, considering how she had gushed over it.

Taking a deep breath, the pinkette took in their scents with a sigh, a knot deep in her chest easing.

Usopp smelled like gunpowder and paint, with the faintest hints of chemicals used to make his pellets, while Sanji was cigarette smoke and spices under the slightly musky scent of cologne, notes of recent meals still hanging around his shoulders.

Vivi was richly floral, but with an underlying note like fresh rain, which Karoo echoed under a thick layer of animal musk, and Nami’s scent lingered, old money and gold and tangerines.

Fingers curled in her hair, and Hikari blinked up to find Zoro had stirred awake, one eye slit open and flashing silver in the moonlight to contrast the dark green folds of his tasseled scarf.

The slight movement had Luffy snorting, rubbery limbs contracting around her thoroughly-cocooned body as he nuzzled closer, the fabric of his own yellow scarf exceedingly soft against her neck.

“Time for sleep...” He slurred, patting the pinkette’s hip. “Then a doctor…”

Blinking back a fresh prickle of heat, Hikari nodded as Zoro’s mouth quirked into the slightest hint of a smile.

“We’ve got this.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We found an island!”

Usopp’s shout had the rubber boy perking up from where he had been putting tiny braids into Hikari’s hair, eyes lighting up.

“An island? Oh, an island! We found an island! Hey, Kari! Good for you! There’s an island! You can get better!”

Watching him through half-lidded eyes as the entire mattress bounced, the pinkette managed a smile as Zoro released a tired sigh behind her.

“Just go look. I’ve got her covered.”

With a relieved grin, Luffy took off like a shot up the stairs, practically leaving afterimages in his wake.

“Here’s hoping he doesn’t break something…” She yawned out, stubbornly knuckling back sleep. “We must be at a winter island, it’s gotten fucking frigid in here…”

“Can’t complain when you’ve got all the blankets.” Zoro grumbled, tucking in the multiple layers securely. “Quit worrying, or you’ll let all the cold in.”

“Have you met Luffy?” She teased, eyelids growing heavy as the Going Merry rocked gently.

There were footsteps going to and fro above as Nami issued orders, the sounds of her crew’s excitement warming Hikari’s heart, and with a low call from Momoo, the Merry continued her approach gentle as a leaf down a calm river...

New voices permeated the fog of her mind, and Hikari tried to blink it back, feeling the tension in Zoro’s frame.

 _Something’s wrong_.

The CRACK of a gunshot had the pinkette jolting upright, a sharp copper scent causing her eyes to snap gold as strong arms tried to pin her in place.

“VIVI!”

The shout came on a growl, voice gone smokey and distorted from fangs, and it took all of Zoro’s strength to wrestle the dragon down, baring his own teeth in a snarl.

“Stop it.” He ground out, pinning her flat with his body weight. “Luffy will protect them. _Stop_.”

Those slit-pupil eyes glared back, molten and shifting like currents through every shade from honey to bright yellow to ochre, before Hikari took a deep breath and regained control.

The color darkened back to a familiar honeyed black, fangs receding, and she went utterly limp, chest heaving.

“Zoro…”

“SHITTY SWORDSMAN!!!”

The sudden shout had their attention snapping around to the stairs, where Sanji already had a foot on the banister while Luffy craned around him curiously and Nami rolled her eyes.

“HOW DARE YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIKARI-HIME WHILE SHE’S IN SUCH A DELICATE STATE!?!”

…

“WHAT!?!”

Zoro leaped off like he had been burned while Hikari scrambled as far as she could towards the headboard, faces going so red that there should have been steam.

“THAT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENED, YOU SHIT COOK!!!”

“Aw, did Zoro get more Kari cuddles while I was gone?” Luffy whined, and Nami massaged her forehead as their swordsman and cook went at each other like rabid dogs while Hikari attempted to smother herself in the pillows.

“Come on, I’ll help you get dressed.” The navigator decided, having mercy on her only sane crew-member. “We’re going to find you a doctor.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bundled up in two layers of thick pants, three long-sleeved shirts, four pairs of socks, a thick Aries-wool jacket, matching mittens, plus a cap that Usopp had dug up alongside at least four blankets, Hikari was carried off the Going Merry in Zoro’s arm and onto the snow-laden island with quiet urgency.

A hulking man in a great green coat was leading the way, breaking through the snow to make an easier way for the villagers and pirates following him, expression growing troubled once he took in the state she was in.

This did not help the jitter in Luffy’s bones, and he practically glued himself to Zoro’s side, neck stretching to check on the pinkette every few moments just to be sure she was still alright.

“I must warn you, the only doctor we have here is a witch.” The man stated as they trudged up a hill, Sanji fussing over Nami and Vivi between his hissed threats to Zoro.

“A witch?” Usopp echoed, nervous sweat already building as he rushed to latch onto the swordsman’s other side.

“What is this place?” Zoro wondered, shoulders curling in against the wind.

“This land still does not have a name.”

“A nameless land?” Vivi voiced, accepting Sanji’s help over a deeper patch of snow. “Does that really happen?”

“A bear! Everyone, pretend to be dead!”

The sharpshooter immediately took his own advice, flopping over, and Hikari blinked blearily at the large white-furred bear that trudged up, hiking stick in hand.

“A Hiking Bear.” Their guide assured, not even batting an eye. “They pose no danger. Don’t forget to bow. It’s proper hiking manners.”

Everyone dipped in greeting as the bear did, and Hikari watched it pass them for a moment before sighing.

“I almost wish that was a hallucination…”

“This is our village, Big Horn.” The green-coated man introduced as buildings rose out of the snow, people and thick-furred animals bustling about their day. “Okay, thanks for the help, everyone. Those who aren’t guards can return to their work.”

“But will you be alright by yourself, Dalton-san?” One of the surrounding villagers worried. “They’re pirates!”

“I believe they pose no threat. That’s my hunch of many years of experience. You can trust it.”

A murmur went through the crowd before they dispersed with well wishes, and Vivi watched them go in surprise.

“They weren’t this land’s security forces?”

“They’re ordinary citizens. Come to my home for now.”

Ignoring the various villagers that called out greetings as Dalton passed, Luffy frowned before clambering up onto Zoro’s back, pressing a hand to Hikari’s forehead and feeling a puff of steam-hot air against his wrist.

Hikari truly _did_ run warmer than most, and Leo had assured that her nature as a Celestial Dragon only made her hardier against extreme temperatures, but…

“Use that bed there.” Dalton offered as he stepped into a large, one-room home. “I’ll warm the place up.”

Dropping onto said mattress, Zoro helped Nami and Vivi maneuver a weakened Hikari out of her winter wear and at least one outer layer, ignoring Sanji’s fuming as he watched like a hawk.

“I haven’t told you my name yet.” The man realized once a fire was lit, removing his own coat. “I’m Dalton, captain of the security squad of this island. Please forgive our heavy-handed welcome. May I ask you a question?”

Vivi turned from where she was adjusting the blankets that had been disturbed by Luffy wiggling in for cuddles.

“I somehow feel like I’ve seen you before.”

“It’s probably just your imagination.” The princess quickly deflected, changing the subject. “Anyway, please tell us about this witch. Hikari-san’s temperature was forty-two degrees celsius when I checked it just now!”

“Forty-two degrees?” Dalton echoed, surprised.

“Her fever’s gone up for three days in a row.” Nami confirmed, mouth twisting in concern as Luffy pressed a hand to the key-holder’s neck and frowned. “She’ll die if it goes up any more.”

“But we don’t even know the cause of her illness, or how to treat it…” Vivi admitted, and Sanji stepped up, agitated.

“We need a doctor! Anyone will do! Where is this witch of yours?”

“The witch, huh?” Dalton murmured, gesturing out one of the few panes of glass in his home. “Do you see those mountains outside the window? Those mountains are known as the Drum Rockies. Do you see the castle at the top of the tallest one in the middle? That castle no longer has its king.”

“Yeah, there it is.” Sanji noted after squinting for a few moments, Usopp nodding.

“What’s so important about the castle?” Nami wondered, stomach already dipping low.

“The only doctor in the land, Doctor Kureha, lives there. People call her a witch.”

"WHAT!?!"

"Of all the places, why does it have to be so far away?!" Sanji complained, snapping around. "Then call her right away! We have a critical patient!"

"Even if we wanted to, there's no way to contact her."

"What kind of doctor has no way to call them?!" Nami raged, and Zoro tightened his grip around Hikari's shoulders as she slit an eye open.

"As a doctor, she's very skilled." Dalton assured, rightfully wary of the redhead's temper. "But she's an eccentric old hag. She's nearly a hundred and forty years old now."

"A hundred and forty?!" Usopp echoed, eyes bugging out, and Sanji nearly lost his cigarette in surprise.

"I think _she_ might need help!"

"And let's see...She likes pickled plums."

"What happens here when people get sick or injured?" Vivi worried, and Dalton shrugged.

"She comes down from the mountain when she feels like it. She looks for patients, treats them, then, as payment, she takes whatever she wants from their houses before leaving."

"Sounds like an unfriendly old hag." Usopp agreed, but Luffy smiled.

"Hey, she almost sounds like a pirate!"

"But how does such an old woman come down that mountain?" Nami wondered, studying the sheer sides with a frown.

"It's an odd rumor…but several people have claimed to have seen her riding a sleigh through the sky on moonlit nights, and that's the reason she's called a witch. Some also saw her with a strange creature they'd never seen before."

"I knew it!" Usopp declared, collapsing dramatically. "See? It's a Snow Man! It's a snowy mountain, after all! I knew there'd be one! A witch and a Snow Man? Oh, please never let us run into them!"

"She _is_ the only doctor, but she's a hag I'd prefer to stay away from." Dalton admitted. "All we can do is wait for the next time she comes down the mountain."

"You can't be serious!" Nami protested, Sanji immediately following suit.

"Damnit, we can't wait for that! Even as we speak, Hikari-hime is-"

"Hey, Kari." Luffy voiced, propping himself up to poke her cheek. "Can you hear me?"

"Loud and horribly clear…" The pinkette acknowledged hoarsely, gaze flicking his way.

"The only way to see a doctor is to climb a mountain. We're gonna climb it!"

"Don't be crazy!" Sanji cut in quickly, almost panicking. "What are you doing with Hikari-hime?!"

"It's okay, I'll carry her on my back!"

"That'll only make things worse!" Vivi argued, a bit green at the thought.

"What's the problem?" Luffy wondered, head cocked like a curious puppy. "We need to hurry, don't we?"

"That's true, but you can't!" Nami reasoned, almost flailing. "Look at how steep and tall it is!"

"I can make it." Luffy declared, undaunted. "But look! If we fall, we'll land in snow!"

"Even a healthy person would die instantly after a fall from there!" Vivi realized, and Usopp did flail.

"Seriously! She's six degrees over normal temperature! Do you even get it?!"

"Oi…"

The crew fell silent when faced with Hikari's glare, even fever-flushed and panting as she was.

"I need to get over this fast, right? Or we won't make it to Alabasta in time…"

Her mouth quirked into a weak smile, dark eyes turning to Luffy with such unshakable faith that it humbled Dalton to see.

"So you better get me to that witch-doctor, captain…"

"That's more like it!" Luffy approved, beaming and feeling that jittery warmth in his chest. "Just leave it to me!"

"And me." Zoro decided, causing a bigger fuss amongst their crew-mates. "You're too small to let out of my sight."

Hikari looked between them for a moment before sighing, eyes already fluttering closed.

“Stubborn idiots…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hold still.”

Nami tugged Luffy closer with a glower, tying a knot in the cloth that secured Hikari to his back.

“I need to tie this right.”

“I’m going to wait here.” Vivi decided, turning to consider the journey over hills and valleys to the mountains in the distance. “I’d only get in the way.”

“Same here!” Usopp agreed quickly, and Nami nodded along as she stood, troubled.

“I will stay to protect Nami-san and Vivi-chan!” Sanji declared, teary-eyed. “But you’d better take care of Hikari-hime, you bastards! Or I’ll crush both your skulls!”

“Got it!” Luffy acknowledged, smiling confidently as Zoro made sure the pinkette’s jacket was firmly closed and her hood securely in place.

Dark eyes fluttered open when a familiar yellow scarf was tucked around her neck, a dark green fabric pressing against her cheek through the folds, and Luffy flashed that smile towards his swordsman as Hikari’s purr rumbled through him at the scent of tempered steel and butterscotch mixing with sea-salt and barbecue.

“Okay, Kari, hold on tight!”

“Aye, captain…” She muttered, arms tightening around his shoulders as Zoro adjusted the three swords in his haramaki so none would get caught in his jacket when drawn.

“If you’re really set on going, I won’t stop you.” Dalton stated, gaining their attention. “But at least climb up from the other side. There are Lapins on this course. Fierce, carnivorous rabbits. If you encounter a pack of them, you’re as good as dead.”

“Oh, joy…” Hikari muttered, dropping her forehead against Luffy’s shoulder as he pouted in thought.

“Rabbits? But we’re in a hurry. We should be fine, right?”

“I’ll cut them all down.” Zoro stated, as if deciding to bring an umbrella on a rainy day.

“You can’t be serious!” Dalton protested, startled at their nonchalance. “You’d be walking to your deaths!”

“It’s okay!” Luffy assured, adjusting his grip under the key-holder’s thighs before taking off at a run. “Alright then, let’s go! Before Kari dies!”

“Don’t say shit like that!” Zoro chided, running to catch up and then keep pace with his captain before knocking him upside the head.

Luffy smiled at the little hiccup of a laugh that Hikari released, focusing ahead, as his scarf and the swordsman’s bandana lulled her into a calm doze.

 _They were going to make sure that smile didn’t go out_.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hikari was aware that it was horribly cold, that Luffy was running, that Zoro was close, and that their scents were the only things grounding her in reality.

Fever had long hazed over any sense of time she might have had, muddling words into little more than soothing voices, and causing a dull ache in every muscle that twanged uncomfortably whenever Luffy landed hard from a jump, and Zoro’s voice would be worried and aggravated immediately afterwards.

There was a restless feeling in her chest, like a great beast turning over and over, but the fever proved strong enough now to keep the dragon down.

Then Luffy was _moving_ , side to side and back and up, and Hikari forced her eyes open to see the bear-sized, sharp-fanged creatures that must have been Lapins as they tried to chase the rubber captain down.

A flash of blades, and she saw Zoro fend them off with Wado and Yubashiri in hand, cursing up a storm until they managed to outpace the beasts.

 _If I wasn’t so weak_...

But she was, this sickness having sapped her strength even more than that paralytic poison back in Syrup Village, and there was nothing she could do to help.

A strange aftershock rumbled up her bones, rhythmic quakes that almost matched her sluggish heartbeat, and her head rolled on Luffy’s shoulder to see a group of Lapins on a rise of ground ahead of them, bouncing in tandem.

_What are they…?_

Then the snow growled like a living thing, and adrenaline broke through the veil of fever like a hammer.

“LEO!”

A flash of light, and Luffy yelped when he was lifted and thrown into Horologium’s wood-paneled chest, eyes going wide as Zoro slammed the door closed before an onrush of snow blinded them to the outside world.

“ZORO!!!”

Hikari’s hoarse voice cracked painfully, heart thundering and eyes snapping to gold, as Luffy twisted his rubber body to steady hers while Horologium was thrown end-over-end like a leaf caught in a river’s rapids.

“ZORO!!!” Luffy screamed again once they settled, eyes wide, and Horologium’s voice echoed to them from every side.

“Hold on, hime, captain.”

Wiggling side to side, the Celestial Spirit made room for his arms and began to dig.

“It’s okay, Kari.” The rubber boy assured, even as he thrummed with nervous energy, fingers gripping tight to her thighs. “It’s okay, Zoro’s okay, he’s strong, you’re strong, you’re both okay-”

The moment sunlight peeked through, Luffy burst free of Horologium’s chest, head snapping around as she reached out to touch the warm wood.

“Thanks…”

“Be safe, hime.” The grandfather-clock-Spirit hoped, already fading back to the Celestial Spirit World.

“Captain! Hime!”

Luffy whipped around at the call, already loping over to where Leo was pulling a familiar form free of the snow.

“You idiot!” The straw-hat captain scolded, pressing a hand to chilled flesh. “Don’t do stuff like that without telling me!”

“Okay…?” Hikari forced out, what energy she had fading fast, and Luffy bounced her higher on his back as Leo nodded.

“He was knocked about a bit, but Zoro should be fine, if a bit cold.”

“Put him on my back, too.” Luffy decided, and the Celestial Spirit paused, feline ears twitching. “I’ll get both of them up the mountain.”

Taking in the rubber captain for a moment, Leo nodded, helping settle the swordsman’s bulk against Hikari’s back and making sure Luffy had a solid grip on both.

“Take care of them, captain.” He warned, expression grave, and his captain stared back with unshakeable resolve.

“I will.”

Reaching back to grip Zoro’s jacket in weak fingers, three sword hilts pressing into the tender underside of her arm, Hikari tried to breathe through another wave of fever as Luffy trudged on, Leo fading away behind them.

Her awareness was bleary, muffled, unable to think through the sheer _heat_ , and even the dragon in her chest whined.

“I will definitely get you there.” Luffy swore, undaunted. “Don’t die, both of you.”

An unexpected voice drew her out of a fitful doze, gaze turning to the armor-clad captain that she had evicted from the Going Merry what felt like weeks ago, astride a strange furry hippopotamus and with his two even stranger helpers.

“Get out of my way.” The straw-hat boy stated, unruffled by this new blockade, and walked through them even when the opposing pirates failed to heed his words.

Hikari’s shoulders twitched, Zoro’s arms shifting lower around her arms, before Wapol raised his voice.

“First, get the sick and injured ones, who are ignoring me the most!”

“Yes, sir!”

“What’d you say?!” Luffy almost snarled as a jester-clad archer and an afro-wearing boxer lunged from behind.

“I’ll take the woman on his back!”

“I’ll take the man.”

A growl rumbled through them as Hikari turned her head, eyes a molten gold and slit pupils flashing red.

“ _Fuck off_.”

The pair cried out when a flash of light blinded them, Luffy stumbling a step in surprise as their attackers were knocked back.

“Keep going, captain.” Leo assured, light coalescing over his fists. “We’ve got this.”

“We?” Luffy parroted, before white shapes moved against the snow to reveal a pack of Lapins now standing between them and their enemy.

“Get Hikari-hime and Zoro to the doctor.” Leo pressed, twisting the ring on his finger. “I can only keep myself here for a short time, without her help. You need every second.”

Processing this, Luffy nodded, turning on his heel to run through the calf-deep snow.

“Don’t die!”

Leo laughed, and Hikari closed her eyes in defeat to the fatigue setting in.

“Regulus Impact!”

The wind grew in strength the closer they drew to the mountains, piercing even through Aries’ thick wool and sapping what strength Hikari had left, only rousing when the cloth around her torso tightened.

“Hang on a little tighter, Kari.”

Tightening her legs around his waist, she reached back with both hands to grasp Zoro’s haramaki, grunting when Luffy’s support went away.

The rock wall before them was a perfect ninety-degree angle, cracked and icy and treacherous, and her knuckles went white as Luffy began to scale it.

The winds grew fiercer with every inch claimed, chapping skin a bright red, and she leaned forward into what warmth he had, eyes catching on the red smearing across his hands.

 _Luffy_...

The conditions were only worsening, Zoro’s breath a rattle against her back, and Hikari saw blood snake down her captain’s arms.

 _If I could just_...

But the dreams came then, and she was gone.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grass cool under her hands, Hikari tipped her head back to take in the rainbow-petals of a cherry blossom tree as sunlight warmed her face between shifting branches.

“Hey, Kari.”

Blinking slowly, she took in the older boy crouched before her, his spiky hair a deep pink like her own and dark eyes smiling, wearing a gold-trimmed black waistcoat with baggy white pants and a familiar symbol tattooed in red on his upper arm.

“Who are you?” The pinkette wondered, that dragon in her chest trilling.

“I’m Natsu.” He introduced himself, grinning to reveal a hint of sharp canines. “Dragneel Natsu. Man, I was hoping to meet you, but not like this…”

The name registered, and Hikari sat up, almost startled.

“You...But you’re dead. You’ve been dead for hundreds of years!”

“But I live on in you.” He replied easily, poking her in the chest. “Damn, you look so much like me...Must have driven that bastard nuts.”

A low purr escaped him, and the key-holder allowed herself to be pulled into a hug, tears smearing off her lashes.

“Hey, don’t cry...There’s someone that’s been wanting to talk with you.”

Taking in a shuddery breath, Hikari pulled back as the dragon in her whined, knuckling back the heat to find a face she had not seen in roughly fourteen years.

Dragneel Nyoko smiled, face no longer lined with pain and dark eyes bright, long hair such a light shade of pink that some might have thought it was white-blonde from a distance and skin a healthy bronze once more, tall and willowy and just-

A sob tore free as Hikari threw herself into that familiar embrace, the scent of warm embers and baking bread enveloping her.

“Oh, my sweet baby…” Nyoko crooned, rocking gently side to side and easing her dragon into an answering purr. “My strong little dragon...Oh, you’ve grown up so much…”

“Ma…” She choked out, unable to voice all the words that suddenly crowded her throat.

“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.” Nyoko assured, pressing a kiss to her forehead like she had when putting Hikari to bed as a child. “We both are.”

Breath hitching, Hikari glanced around to find a young boy, perhaps only seven years old, with a gap-toothed smile and messy pink-blonde curls and warm dark eyes.

“Hi, sis.”

“Akeno.” The key-holder gasped out, dropping to her knees and pulling him close, the scent of spring sunshine and morning dew bringing a fresh gush of tears. “Akeno, I’m so sorry, I didn’t-”

“It’s okay, Kari-chan.” He assured, pressing in as small hands pat her back. “It’s okay.”

Gentle fingers combed through her hair, and Hikari blinked through her tears to see the sad smile on Nyoko’s face.

“I’m afraid we don’t have much time. You have to go back to your crew.”

“But…”

“Don’t live with any regrets.” Nyoko ordered, crouching to their level. “You have such a big heart, little dragon...You shouldn’t ignore what it tells you.”

A smile quirked at her mouth then, and Akeno giggled.

“Besides, those two boys are good for you.”

Hikari flushed bright red at this, almost to the point of steaming.

“MA!”

Chuckling, Nyoko pushed her gently back as Akeno let go, sending the pinkette falling through a rush of rainbow-petals-

Blinking awake to a stone ceiling, Hikari turned her head at the soft scrape of wood, the walls blurring for a moment before dark eyes settled on the furry, bipedal, pink-hatted creature hopping down from a nearby desk.

They stared at each other for a long moment, and Hikari blinked again just to be sure this was no hallucination.

“...Hi.”

The poor thing about jumped out of his fur, running to only somewhat-hide behind the nearest doorframe, and Hikari rolled onto her side, unable to help the rush of affection she felt.

“Hey, it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you…” She soothed, voice low and soft. “My name’s Hikari, what’s yours?”

Slowly, her unknown helper inched his way closer, eyeing the bedridden pinkette as if expecting some sort of attack.

“I’m...I’m Tony Tony Chopper.”

“Hi, Chopper…” She greeted warmly, a smile forming. “Thank you for taking care of me…”

“Y-You’re welcome…” He stuttered in surprise, voice male and far too young for someone so unsure.

“Your fever seems to have gone down, girl.” A new voice interrupted, and Hikari glanced up to find who must have been Doctor Kureha as a fingertip was pressed to her forehead. “Are you happy?”

“I don’t feel like I’m dying…” She acknowledged. “Thanks…”

“Thirty-eight-point-two degrees, hm...You’re doing more or less alright.” The old woman assessed, taking another swig of her rum. “Call me Doctorine.”

“Where are Luffy and Zoro?” Hikari wondered as her brain fully caught up to the moment, red superimposed in her mind’s eye.

“They’re sleeping in the next room, very deeply. What tough guys…”

Setting aside her drink, Doctor Kureha sat hard on the bed and rucked up the young woman’s shirt, revealing dark, mottled bruising across her belly.

“This was the cause.” The doctor stated confidently as Hikari took in the strange markings with surprise. “You were bitten by a bug called Kestia. It’s a poisonous tick that lives in jungles with high temperature and humidity. Once you’re bitten by it, bacteria come in and keep you in pain by lying dormant inside your body for five days. It causes high fever of above forty degrees, coinfection, myocarditis, arteritis, cerebritis...Given the infection’s progression from the bitten area, I’d say you’ve been infected for three days. The suffering must have been unusually harsh, but it would’ve eased up in two more days even without any treatment.”

“Two more days?” Hikari repeated, brow quirking.

“Yeah, because you would’ve died in two days.”

“That’s very comforting.” The pinkette drawled, expression falling flat. “Are you going to tell Luffy and Zoro that, so they can freak out some more?”

Doctor Kureha snickered, rising from the bed with an approving smile.

“You’ve got spirit, girl. That’s probably what helped you. It’s called the ‘five day disease’ for a reason.”

“H-Here.”

Hikari took in the glass of water being offered between two tiny hooves, smiling as she accepted it.

“Thanks, Chopper.”

“Now, stay in bed.” Doctor Kureha ordered, retrieving her rum. “Your treatment hasn’t completely finished yet. This disease normally takes ten days to fully treat. Even with my medicine, you’ll have to rest at least three days.”

“Three days?” Hikari parroted, frowning. “I can’t stay here three days. We have to keep going.”

“When a patient leaves me, she’s either dead or cured. I won’t let you get away.”

The pinkette stared back, sparks of gold in her dark eyes.

“We’ll see.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Settled back in her bed, Hikari watched as Chopper trundled back out of the room to check on her crew-mates, a thoughtful hum resonating with the low purr of her dragon.

“Chopper’s not a normal human.”

“He’s a reindeer with a blue nose.”

Taking a swig of her rum, Doctor Kureha elaborated into the expectant silence.

“If he’s different from ordinary reindeers in some way, it’s just because he ate a Human Human Fruit, that’s all. And I taught him everything I know about medicine.”

Biting her lip as she absorbed this, Hikari shifted to face the old doctor fully.

“How’d you find him?”

“I didn’t. It was that old fool, Hiriluk.” She admitted easily, gaze distant. “The moment he was born into this world, his group and even his parents abandoned him…”

And so Doctor Kureha told the story of a little blue-nosed reindeer that lost his whole world.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The tea was warm and honey-sweet going down her throat, soothing the soreness that had taken residence ever since her first draconic roar, and Hikari hummed as it filled her belly.

A loud CRASH jerked her attention towards the door, brow furrowing at the rapid clip-clop of Chopper’s hooves-

Said reindeer burst through, wide-eyed, with a finally-conscious Luffy right on his heels.

“MEAT!”

Chopper squeaked when he was suddenly lifted out of reach of those stretching fingers, and Hikari pinned the furry creature underneath herself with a low growl, eyes molten gold and slit-pupil as she warned Luffy to a stop.

“ _Mine_.”

The rubber boy blinked for a moment before grinning, lighting up with relief, as Zoro skidded through the doorway behind him.

“KARI!!!”

Chopper wheezed as a sudden new weight was added, rolling dizzily, and Luffy nuzzled into her neck with a giggle, arms wrapping in tight loops around both girl and reindeer.

“You’re not allowed to get sick ever again! Captain’s orders!”

“It’s not like I got sick on purpose!” She scolded, an arm wrapping around his shoulders in return, and Chopper blinked at the low purr that fizzed over his skin.

Then an arm snapped out, and he was wheezing again as an even _bigger_ weight landed on him, Hikari growling and Zoro cursing as they adjusted within a laughing Luffy’s grip.

“Oi, watch it!”

With a bit of maneuvering, Chopper found himself snuggled against Hikari’s chest with Zoro at his back and Luffy’s arms holding them all close, ears twitching as he tried to process what had happened.

“It’s okay.” The rubber boy assured, his grin not dimming in the slightest. “Kari’s said you’re hers, so I’m not gonna eat you.”

The poor reindeer froze, trying to hide between her breasts, and two fists cracked across the back of Luffy’s head.

“Oi!”

“Not helping!”

Gentle fingers carded through his fur, a purr easing through every muscle until Chopper practically melted, and Hikari smiled as Luffy settled fully against her with a snore, eyelids growing heavy now that all the excitement had passed.

A large hand threaded through her hair, a calloused palm resting against the curve of a cheek, and the pinkette blinked slowly as Zoro brushed his thumb over soft skin.

Watching her relax into dreams, the swordsman looked over their faces quietly.

 _Too close_.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you a monster?”

Turning away from the door Doctor Kureha had chased her crew-mates through, axes and spears and maces flying, Hikari hummed while petting through Chopper’s fluffy fur.

“A monster...Yeah, you could say I’m a monster.”

“They’re not scared of you…” He murmured, as if this was some sort of great miracle, and her heart squeezed. “There’s no way I could stay with humans...They get scared when they see me. I’m a reindeer, but I stand on two legs, and I even speak...My nose is blue, too…”

There was far too much pain in such a young voice, and Hikari pulled him in close, chest rumbling.

“I’m a dragon.” She admitted, the truth still strange on her tongue, and Chopper jerked to look up at her with wide eyes. “I can grow wings, and claws, and fangs, and I could probably bring this whole place down with my bare hands…”

Her eyes drifted back towards the door, a smile forming at a sharp curse and a startled yelp echoing through the hall.

“And they don’t care.”

Chopper’s eyes went wide and shiny at this, tiny hooves curling into the layers of cloth over her chest.

“Even though I demanded they let me die, they risked their lives to save me...Does that sound like people who would care your nose is blue?”

The reindeer blubbered, tears overflowing.

_No, it doesn’t._

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leaning back against the headboard, Zoro curled his palm around Hikari’s pulse as she dreamed in his lap, an empty bowl sitting on a nearby nightstand.

Luffy had bounced off once the pinkette had drifted off, on a mission, but the swordsman was still disquieted by their close call and refused to leave the room, much to Doctor Kureha’s amusement.

She had seen a lot in her long, youthful life, and seeing those three orbit each other was probably the most entertainment the doctor had in years.

“DOCTORINE!”

Hikari jolted awake, all eyes going to the door as Chopper burst through in a full-out run.

“HELP ME!”

“Wait! Hey, wait!”

Without even a second’s hesitation, Hikari snapped her leg out, and there was an explosive OOF when Luffy ran into it, doubling over and hanging there like a limp noodle.

“What the fuck are you doing?” She grouched, rubbing sleep away with one hand as Zoro picked their captain up by the scruff of his vest.

“This guy’s gonna join us and become our friend!” The rubber boy declared, already bouncing back.

“I didn’t say that!” Chopper argued, ‘hiding’ behind Doctor Kureha.

“You did.”

“I didn’t!”

“You did!”

An URK cut the roundabout argument off, and Hikari pulled her captain’s head to her level with a glare.

“We’ve talked about this shit before. You can’t just tell people to be pirates!”

Pouting, he wriggled free and took off after a panicked Chopper once more, and she sighed in defeat as Zoro chuckled.

“Friend, huh?” Doctor Kureha mused, taking another swig of wine as dark eyes turned her way.

And so she told the story of how a man strove to be a great doctor, and the blue-nosed reindeer he saved along the way.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Doctorine! Doctorine!”

A larger, quadruped Chopper clattered into the room, hooves skidding on the hardwood and eyes wide.

“Doctorine, there’s a problem! Wapol is back!”

“Is that so…”

“That big-mouthed idiot from before?” Zoro realized, standing from the bed as Hikari’s eyes flashed gold.

“And the asshole that tried to kill us on our way up here?”

“Stay here, girl.” Doctor Kureha ordered, rising from her chair. “You’re not allowed out of bed.”

“And let you all go out there to fight him?” The pinkette argued, sitting up.

“Please stay here.” Chopper pleaded, backing up out the door. “We’ll take care of this.”

Zoro pressed a hand to her neck, eyes sharp as they met hers.

“We’ve got this.”

Scowling as the three raced off to meet the danger without her, Hikari threw off her blankets and grabbed up the scarf and bandana on the nightstand.

 _Fuck that_.

Tying up her hair with the worn green cloth, she went in search of her coat and boots, scouring three rooms before finding a pile of them.

Head cocked, the key-holder held up a dark red one moments before Luffy zipped by, shouting a thanks as he kept going.

With a fond snort, Hikari changed out of the pajamas she had been put in, zipping up her white jacket securely and looping the soft yellow scarf around her neck while heading out into a nearby hallway.

The castle was mostly abandoned, ice slicking the walls and snow piling up across the floor, and the pinkette cursed as cannon-fire rattled through the structure from overhead.

_Shit, when did they get a cannon up here?_

Glancing over the railing as she entered a new space, Hikari blinked as a large figure slunk through the open doorway below, mouth splitting into a fanged smile.

Zoro quirked a brow as the so-called King of Drum flew past him from inside the castle, and all eyes turned as Hikari stepped out after him, brushing back her ponytail with a huff.

“Who said you could come in, asshole?”

“KARI!!!” Luffy cheered, Chopper blinking from where he had plopped down after defeating Wapol’s generals.

“You!” The usurped royal shouted, scrambling back upright with an accusatory finger. “How dare you hit me, the King of Drum Island?!”

“Oh, I’m so scared.” She deadpanned, and Luffy laughed, delighted that his key-holder was already back to her old self. “You’re going to be a smear on the ground down there if you don’t back off. Right, captain?”

“Right!”

The rubber boy had a feral smile as he marched up, grabbing a startled Wapol by the face.

“This is it for you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a king or a god. It doesn’t matter who’s great or who’s not!”

Luffy’s smile widened into a dangerous grin, sending a sizzle of excitement down Zoro’s spine.

“After all, I’m a pirate.”

“It does matter, Straw Hat!” Wapol forced out, collapsing to his knees as the grip on his face tightened. “The Drum Kingdom is a member of the World Government! Now listen, this is a world-class offense!”

“Like I said, that doesn’t matter either. This is my own fight.”

Luffy began to wind himself up, and Hikari smiled at the panic that came over his enemies’ face.

“And you tried to hurt my nakama. Gum Gum Bowgun!”

And Wapol was nothing more than a twinkle in the sky.

Zoro hardly noticed, taking in Luffy’s bright face before his gaze turned to Hikari as a laugh bubbled out, this warm tightness rising in his chest as their captain Gum Gum Rocketed into her for a hug.

They had almost lost this, lost _Hikari_ , and the thought was like his stomach turning to a heavy stone.

Hikari blinked as a shadow fell over them, a shiver rolling down her spine at the _look_ on Zoro’s face as Luffy went quiet, a sword-calloused palm curling around her neck.

“I’ve never done anything I regret.” He reminded them firmly. “I’m not about to start now.”

And his lips connected with hers, warm and chapped and _close_ , sparks singing between them like fireworks on a moonless night.

Luffy watched with wide eyes, skin tingling, as they separated slowly, like magnets fighting the pull towards each other.

Silver and honey-dark eyes turned to him then, and the rubber captain felt a thrill down his spine, lips tingling like they had after he had given Hikari that silver key.

Zoro leaned in first, lips dry and warm against his, and Luffy liked that, liked how close he was and the taste of sake and the rush of excitement over his skin, and the dragon in Hikari’s chest trilled when he pulled Zoro in closer, mouth working enthusiastically as the swordsman chuckled, a steadying grip on his captain’s hip while he reciprocated.

Breaking free with a wet pop, the straw-hat boy hummed in thought before turning his head, noses bumping gently as he pressed a kiss to Hikari’s mouth, that same tingle rushing up his spine when she sighed into the contact.

“Can we do that a lot?”

Hikari hid her blush in Luffy’s chest as Zoro snickered, squeezing his hip firmly.

“Yeah, I think we can.”

“Oh, good.” The rubber captain decided, grinning. “I like kisses!”

“Oh stars, why do you say things like that?” Hikari groaned, earning a giggle from the shameless captain.

“Hey, hey, Kari, can we kiss some more?”

“Yeah, Kari, can we?” Zoro teased, earning a glare in return.

“Menaces, the both of you.”

Luffy popped a kiss to her nose, snickering at the new pinkness on her face.

“But we still get kisses, right?”

Hikari grumbled, but she pressed a kiss to his nose too, so Luffy took that as a yes.

Doctor Kureha smirked as Chopper staggered to her side, glancing over when a gondola docked on the remaining line and a blonde man burst onto the mountain.

“Hikari-hime, your prince has-”

Sanji froze like a statue, Nami and Usopp peeking around him to see said key-holder pulling back from Luffy’s mouth just as Zoro ducked in for his own kiss.

“Fucking _finally_!”

Doctor Kureha snickered at the wail that echoed off the sky, holding up her vodka like a toast.

“Ah, young love…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Settled back in bed with Luffy curled across her lap like a satisfied cat, Hikari watched the villagers crowd around a freshly-bandaged Dalton, clearly worried.

Zoro and Sanji were outside in craters, courtesy of an embarrassed key-holder, still grumbling insults at each other while being watched over by Usopp as he made snowmen, Nami and Vivi joining them inside to escape the worst of the cold.

“Now, Dalton, where’s the key to this arsenal?” Doctor Kureha wondered, picking up a fresh bottle of alcohol as Hikari perked up. “You know where it is, right?”

“Key to the arsenal…” The man mused, staying still to avoid causing himself further pain. “Why do you need such a thing?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“That key was always carried by Wapol from long ago. So if it’s still the case, it flew off with Wapol into the sky.”

“What, is that right? Darn…”

“Doctorine.” The pinkette called, setting aside her tea with a sharp-sweet smile as Luffy snuggled closer with a hum. “About the treatment fee for our crew…”

“As my fee, I’ll take the entire cargo and money on your ship, and you’ll stay here and rest at least for two more days.” Doctor Kureha replied, causing Nami to nearly collapse in tears and Vivi to bite her lip in worry even while Luffy snored obliviously.

“You want to get into that arsenal, right?” Hikari reasoned, a mischievous gleam in her honey-dark eyes. “Without leaving this bed, I could do that for you. All I ask is that you don’t take a fee and let me leave today.”

“You’ve got guts, dictating terms to me like that.” The older woman stated, a note of respect in her voice behind a scowl. “You are really an unbelievable girl.”

“Do we have a deal?” The pinkette prompted, Nami blubbering pleas at the thought of even losing what little treasure was aboard the Going Merry.

“...Yes.” Doctor Kureha decided, smirking. “There’s no way you can do it, after all.”

And Hikari smiled, shaking Luffy’s shoulder.

“Hey, cap, wake up. I figured out where the pantry is.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You’re a genius!” Nami sobbed, clinging to Hikari as she pulled on her boots. “You’re an evil genius, and I’m so glad you’re on the crew!”

“Nami, I love you, but it’s kinda hard to put on my coat when you’re holding onto me like this…”

“S-Sorry…”

Vivi pat the navigator’s shoulder to help steady her while Hikari finished pulling on all her winter gear, both noticing the worn green bandana tying up her ponytail and the familiar yellow scarf being knotted around her neck.

Nami almost burst into a fresh wave of tears, so relieved- _to see Hikari alive, to know they were done being idiots, **to keep her treasure**_ -that she had to take a moment to compose herself.

“Come on.” The pinkette decided, offering Vivi back her earmuffs with a smile. “Before Zoro and Sanji decide to start another fight.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Stupid.” Zoro scolded, pulling off his own coat to wrap around a protesting Hikari when he spotted her by the castle’s door while ignoring a fire-spitting Sanji. “You’ll get sick again.”

“ _You’re_ the one taking your jacket off in all this snow!”

“KARI! ZORO!”

The pair grunted as a rubbery missile slammed into them, Luffy grinning as he clambered onto the pinkette’s back, arms wrapped around like a cape.

“Have you seen the reindeer?”

“Reindeer?”

“Hey, Luffy, just give it up.” Usopp advised, packing snow into a tight ball between his mittened hands. “He hasn’t shown up even after all our efforts to find him.”

“He doesn’t wanna be a pirate.” Nami agreed, ignoring Sanji’s usual fussing.

“That’s not true.” Luffy denied stubbornly, pouting. “I wanna take him with us! You do too, right Kari?”

“Of course I do.” She replied, frowning. “He’s a good kid.”

“Reindeer! Come out, reindeer!”

“His name’s Chopper, you rubbery menace!”

“Reindeer!” Luffy cheered once he caught sight of said Zoan, almost bouncing with glee against her shoulders. “Hey, let’s be pirates together, okay?”

“It’s not possible.” Chopper replied dully, and Zoro turned to take in his bowed head with a frown.

“Yes it is, since it’s fun!”

“But...But I’m a reindeer!” He burst, teary-eyed and already stuffing up. “I have antlers and hooves! I even have a blue nose! It’s true that I wanna be a pirate, but...I’m not even a human! I’m a monster! I can’t become your friend!”

The pain that lay there tore at Hikari’s heart, and she released a soft crooning sound that Zoro had never heard from her before.

“So...So I just came to say thank you... I do appreciate you guys. Thank you for asking me to join you...I’ll stay here, but...one day...if you feel like it, you can stop by agai-”

“SHUT UP!” Luffy cut through his denial, throwing his arms back. “LET’S GO!”

“You don’t ask people to join you by telling them to shut up.” Zoro pointed out gruffly as Hikari rolled her eyes.

Chopper’s tears, however, seemed to disagree.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, Kari, are you really okay?” Usopp worried, dusting snow off his mittens.

“I’m already feeling back to normal.” The key-holder assured, sitting atop a flattish boulder with Luffy wrapped around her back and Zoro acting as a shield against the wind. “Once the fever broke, I was pretty much out of danger. So long as I don’t go all dragon in the next couple of days, I’ll be good as new soon.”

“Hey, let’s go say goodbye to that old lady doctor and acorn pops, too.” Luffy suggested, and Nami shook her head as Sanji wept, creating a snow-statue of Hikari.

“Let him be alone with Doctorine. He lived with her alone for six years, it’ll sure be a tearful farewell…”

“Doctorine acts like that in front of us, but she is actually a kind person.” Vivi agreed, blowing on her gloved hands.

“Then we’re really leaving without saying anything to her then?” Usopp confirmed, and Hikari nodded.

“Once Chopper comes back, we’ll head back to Momoo and the Merry so we can keep heading for Alabasta. Right, Vivi?”

“Of course.”

“Okay then, I’ll get the ropeway ready.” The sniper decided, heading back towards where the gondola had docked.

 _Kinda wish we had known about it to start with_ , the pinkette groused to herself, remembering the Lapins and the ice and Luffy’s blood-slicked hands.

A great clatter came from inside the castle, screaming following soon after, before Chopper burst out in his Walk Point with a sleigh clattering in his wake.

“Everyone! Get on the sleigh! We’ll go down the mountain!”

“Fuck.” Hikari cursed, grabbing up a startled Nami and Vivi while Zoro hefted a flailing Usopp in after them, Sanji landing hard behind them as Chopper’s hooves landed on thick rope instead of snow.

Hikari’s heart seemed to hang suspended in her chest as they raced downward, that dragon in her chest roaring happily at the sensation of flying, before they clattered to level ground and took off into the forest.

Luffy laughed, nearly falling back, and two hands fisted into his jacket as Chopper weaved between the trunks and leaped over tangled roots.

Cannon-fire erupted in quick succession, and the sleigh slowed, heads turning towards the sky…

“Amazing…” Luffy breathed, eyes going wide.

“It’s beautiful…” Nami whispered, and Hikari quietly agreed as she took in the bright pink snowflakes falling from above, transforming the imposing mountain into a gargantuan cherry blossom tree.

Taking on his Brain Point, Chopper walked a few paces away on numb legs, tears filling his eyes.

“Doctor...Doctorine…”

A warmth settled around him, and the little Zoan blinked up wetly as Hikari wrapped him up in a hug, Luffy’s chin settled on her hair and Zoro standing just to the side, gaze turned skyward.

“It’s okay now.”

And the tears fell.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sniffling with relief, Momoo gently pulled the Going Merry back out to sea, Chopper standing on the stern to keep sight of his home as it receded from view.

“Chopper! Hey, Chopper!” Usopp called, pulling their newest crew-mate into the growing celebration as he grabbed up a mug of beer. “You son of a gun! How long are you gonna be in a daze like that? Drink!”

“What?”

“Come here and sing!” Sanji urged, in much higher spirits with a bit of rum in his belly.

“What?!”

“Here, stick these chopsticks up your nose!” Luffy encouraged, having already done the same.

“WHAT?!”

BAM!

SMACK!

CRASH!

“Calm your tits.” Hikari ordered, scooping up a very confused Chopper as the three groaned from their faceful of decking. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

Snickering, Zoro offered his captain a mug of ale, and Hikari sat on a nearby crate as the boys of their crew started a drinking contest.

“You made friends with some really crazy guys.” She pointed out to a curious Chopper, unable to help a smile. “But I did, too. You get used to it.”

“Friends…” The Zoan echoed, touched by the sentiment. “But Luffy and Zoro are your mates, right?”

Flushing pink, Hikari pressed a hand to his muzzle while glancing over to make sure Nami and Vivi were focused on a worried Karoo.

“That’s not...I mean, yeah, but we just...we just kissed, we haven’t talked about…”

“But you already smell like each other.” Chopper reasoned, ears twitching in thought. “So you’re the alpha triad.”

“Sure.” The pinkette agreed, resigned. “Let’s just not say that in front of anyone else, okay?”

“Why?”

“Because Kari-chan likes to act tough, but she has a gooey marshmallow center.” Nami teased, poking at said key-holder’s warm cheek. “Right, Kari-chan?”

“I will throw you over the railing, I swear on the stars.”

“Hikari-san said that Doctorine taught you everything she knows about medicine.” Vivi interjected, hoping to avoid such an occurrence. “That’s very impressive.”

“Dummy!” Chopper cheered, clapping. “Praising me like that wouldn’t make me feel happy! You jerk!”

“He sure _looks_ happy.” Luffy voiced, head tilting as he leaned against Hikari’s back.

“What do you mean by medicine?” Zoro wondered, forearm resting on Luffy’s straw hat, and the pinkette smiled like a proud parent.

“Chopper’s a doctor! A first-class one, too, since Doctorine hammered all that knowledge into him.”

“What?” The crew voiced as one, said reindeer blushing.

“Chopper, you’re a doctor?” Luffy realized, and Hikari turned her head to frown at him.

“What did you think Chopper was when you asked him to join us?”

“A seven-form transforming interesting reindeer.”

“Ah, darn it!” Chopper voiced, looking around in dismay. “I forgot to bring my medical tools, since I left in a hurry!”

“Then what’s this?” Nami wondered, holding up a dark blue backpack with a white X holding the flap closed.

“My bag!”

“Oh, I found that in the sleigh.” Hikari voiced, and Chopper’s lip wobbled.

“How come…?”

“Sometimes, it’s hard to say goodbye.” She stated gently, cuddling the reindeer close as he sniffled. “So she tried to make it easier for you.”

“Hikari-hime, your gentle heart shines like a beacon in a foggy sea!” Sanji praised, heart-eye pulsing, and Zoro almost growled like a dragon himself.

“Back off, shitty cook!”

“Just because you stole her kiss like a barbarian doesn’t mean you own her heart, shitty swordsman!”

“Like she would have ever kissed you, swirly-brow!”

“Are you trying to say something, moss-head?!”

Luffy snickered as the pair devolved into an all-out brawl, and Chopper blinked when he was gently handed over to Vivi.

“HEY!”

BAM!

CRASH!

“KNOCK IT OFF!”

Nami snickered into her mug, pleased.

“And here I thought she’d start going easy on them…”


	12. Alabasta Arc: Part 1

“Kari?”

Hikari stayed focused, needle carefully pulling together her favorite sleeping shirt, as a familiar rubbery weight sprawled bonelessly across her back.

“ _Kari_ …”

Slitting an eye open from where he was napping against the railing, Zoro snickered at the pout on their captain’s face as Hikari continued to studiously ignore him.

“ _KARI_ …”

“ _What_?” She finally snapped, Luffy perking up excitedly even when a dark glare was turned on him.

“I wanna kiss!”

“We kissed all morning!” The pinkette protested even as a blush burned across her face.

“Yeah, but I wanna kiss _more_!” He whined, muffling out a protest when her hand shoved his face back.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?!”

“Nope!”

Hikari squeaked when a strong arm pulled her into a solid chest, turning to glare at Zoro’s smirk as the swordsman freed Luffy’s face.

“You say that like you weren’t enjoying this morning.”

Almost glowing pink, she smacked at his chest as Luffy giggled.

“Shut up!”

“Come on, Kari…” The rubber captain weedled, wrapping around both of them like an octopus. “Kissing’s almost as good as meat!”

“Of course you’d compare it to food.” Zoro voiced, amused, and Luffy stretched his neck to pop a kiss against that smirking mouth.

“Yup!”

“How am I supposed to get anything done with you two around?” Hikari complained, grumbling when Luffy pressed a kiss to her nose.

“Come on, Kari, have some fun.”

“Yeah, have some fun.” Zoro agreed, dropping his chin on her hair.

“If I have some ‘fun’, will you let me finish this?” She bargained, Luffy’s eyes sparkling as he nodded rapidly.

Fighting back a smile, the pinkette leaned back into Zoro while curling a hand into soft black hair to draw him in, lips brushing-

“HIKARI-HIME, NO!!!”

The trio jerked at the unexpected wail, turning to see Sanji being smothered under Nami, Vivi and Karoo’s combined weight by the aft-side stairs.

“YOU DESERVE SO MUCH BETTER!!!”

“Shut up!” Nami hissed, beginning to throttle the cook. “It was about to get good!”

“Don’t mind us!” Vivi assured, trying to wave off their attention as Hikari’s blush somehow expanded, and Zoro scowled.

“Oi, what’s the big idea?!”

“We were hoping to discuss what’s awaiting us in Alabasta, since we’ll be arriving soon.” The princess explained, Luffy poking at the pinkette’s warm cheeks until she smacked a hand over his face.

“But you were getting all lovey-dovey, so we waited.” The navigator concluded, stomping down on a blubbering Sanji as Hikari and Zoro snapped glares her way.

“WE WERE NOT!!!”

“Kari!”

Clip-clopping up the stairs, Chopper leaped onto the pinkette’s lap, happily snuggling in as Zoro grumbled at the rather thorough distraction.

“What’s Alabasta? And Baroque Works?”

The swordsman settled back against the railing, pulling all three along to rest in his lap, as Usopp paused by a downed Sanji and puzzled over the dark cloud hanging over his head.

“It’s the country Vivi’s from.” Hikari explained, settling the little Zoan on her own lap as Luffy rested his chin on her hair and Zoro palmed her hip. “And Baroque Works is the group trying to take it over. They’re led by a man called Crocodile.”

“One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.” Zoro added, and Chopper’s ears twitched.

“Seven Warlords of the Sea?”

“They’re the pirates authorized by the World Government.” Nami explained, and the reindeer frowned.

“Pirates are authorized by the World Government?”

“Yeah, they’re overwhelmingly strong.” Usopp warned, already wringing his hands. “And they crush other pirates one by one, so the Government authorizes them to crush pirates.”

“Crocodile, huh?” Luffy mused, grinning. “I can’t wait to see him.”

“Crocodile is a hero in Alabasta because he crushes the pirates that attack towns.” Vivi elaborated, knuckles going white. “But that’s only his public face. Behind the scenes, he’s pulling strings to cause a civil war in Alabasta in order to take over...No one has noticed it. The citizens...My father...No one.”

“Alright then!” Luffy decided, perking up. “In any case, all we have to do is beat up that Crocodile, right?”

“Yes. If we can stop the civil war and expel Baroque Works…”

“What’s Baroque Works do?” Chopper wondered, and Hikari sighed at the reminder.

“They’re a group of bounty hunters and assassins. They go by numbered codenames and only take orders from Crocodile.”

“The system itself is simple.” Vivi assured, managing to calm herself with facts. “First, at the top, there’s a boss, Crocodile. In other words, Mister Zero. There’s twelve agents and one animal who receive orders from the boss directly. Each of the twelve agents operates separately as a pair with a female agent. Mister One and Miss Double Finger. Mister Two doesn’t have a partner, but…”

The princess paused, biting her lip for a moment as everyone focused on her, curious.

“There’s been whispers...that Mister Two has an unofficial partner.” She admitted, disquieted. “The Iron Dragon of Baroque Works.”

“An Iron Dragon?” Luffy echoed, eyes wide and shining, as Usopp’s knees began to rattle.

“Yes. I’ve never met them, but they’re Crocodile’s enforcer. Even the strongest of his agents fear the Iron Dragon.”

“You mean something like Kari is on their side?” Nami realized, paling in horror, as Sanji nearly dropped his cigarette.

Hikari’s first, unexpected transformation was still seared into their minds, and the thought of a monster just like that…

“Well, Kari’s a Celestial Dragon!” Usopp boasted, crossing his arms even as he trembled. “She can beat up a rusted old Iron Dragon, easy!”

“Yeah! Kari’s so strong, no way she’ll lose!” Luffy agreed, and her cheeks warmed.

“You’re both so sweet, I might get diabetes.”

“We don’t need to worry about that.” Zoro decided, squeezing her hip. “Mister Three is the candle-man we met in Little Garden, right?”

“Yes. He was paired up with Miss Golden Week. Mister Four is paired up with Miss Merry Christmas. I don’t know much about these two either.”

“And that snot guy!” Luffy remembered, Usopp gagging.

“Mister Five, right?”

“Snot?” Chopper echoed, nose scrunching in disgust, and Hikari shuddered at the memory.

“He ate the Bomb-Bomb Fruit, so his body was basically a walking bomb. He was just nasty and used his snot more often than not.”

“His partner, Miss Valentine, has the powers of the Kilo-Kilo Fruit.” Vivi continued. “From Mister One through Mister Five, they’re called officer agents. They all have the powers of a Devil’s Fruit, and they only work on really important missions. For Mister Six through Mister Thirteen, their job is fundraising for the company by leading the employees at the entrance of the Grand Line.”

“Come to think of it, there was a strange monkey and chicken...” Sanji mused, drawn from his funk.

“They’re Mister Thirteen and Miss Friday, they’re a punishment squad. Their main job is to punish those who fail missions. Other than these people, there’s two hundred subordinates called Billions under the officer agents, and eighteen-hundred subordinates called Millions under the frontier agents. This is the secret crime syndicate, Baroque Works.”

“That means…” Usopp began, pausing to count on his fingers. “Eighteen-hundred plus two hundred, so…”

“There’re two thousand subordinates?!” Chopper squeaked out, eyes going wide.

“Alright!” Luffy cheered, confident as ever. “I understand it very well now! In any case, all we have to do is beat up that Crocodile, right?”

BAM!

“Understanding isn’t something you’re capable of.” Hikari drawled, having smashed her captain’s face into the deck thanks to his elongated neck.

“If Baroque Works’ last big job is to take over Alabasta…” Zoro mused, starting to smirk. “The rest of those officer agents and the Billions are gonna start going there.”

“Yes.” Vivi confirmed, voice tight, as Luffy’s head sprang back into place.

“I see…” He muttered, pouting thoughtfully. “Then, in any case, we’ll beat that Crocodile guy…”

His face met the railing this time, a vein visibly pulsing in Hikari’s forehead as Momoo peeked over.

“WILL YOU QUIT THAT ALREADY!?!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Luffy, don’t lie.”

Glancing up from the traveler’s guide to Alabasta that Aquarius had dug up for her, Hikari took in their shifty-eyed captain and stern cook with a sigh, Zoro slitting an eye open from where he rested in her lap.

“Tell me what you know.”

Scowling, Sanji crouched to grab at rubbery cheeks, forcing the straw-hat boy to make eye contact.

“Hey, why are you looking away? Look me in the eyes.”

“Well, seriously, I don’t know anything.” Luffy replied, sweating profusely and not looking at all innocent.

“Then let me ask you something. How did enough food for nine people, which I carefully divided so that it’d last until we get to Alabasta, disappear during the night?”

Luffy’s eyes refused to settle on the cook, and Hikari shook her head in resigned amusement.

“Stop fighting, it’s pointless! You’ve got a horrible poker face!”

His only response was to burp, and Zoro snickered as Sanji seemed to deflate.

“Hey, you have something around your mouth.”

“AH! SHOOT! FOOD CRUMBS?!”

“See, it _was_ you!”

“And I thought Usopp was a horrible liar.” She noted, flipping to a page on the dangers of Alabasta’s deserts, and Zoro smirked.

“Ah, Nami-san, you saw it, right?” Sanji pleaded, the smoke from his cigarette suddenly taking the shape of hearts. “The large rat trap is no longer good enough. Please buy a lockable refrigerator.”

“Well…” Nami considered, brow furrowing. “Kari-chan, is there anything your Spirits can do?”

“I can ask Virgo if she has any locks that could fit.” The pinkette offered, quirking a brow at Luffy’s pout. “Better to portion now than go hungry later. I’ll ask Aries if she has any ideas, too.”

“Well!” Usopp stated, voice strangely muffled, from where he, Chopper and Karoo were sitting on the railing with fishing rods. “We’d better catch something for Sanji-kun!”

“Hey, any luck fishing?”

All three jumped guilty, audibly swallowing, and Sanji brought his foot down on two of their heads while Chopper raced to huddle on Zoro’s chest for safety.

 _Boys_ …

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Alright, ready?”

The crew nodded, and Hikari turned to pat Momoo’s snout before pressing a gold key to his slick hide.

“Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! AQUARIUS!”

Rising from her Gate, the mermaid-Spirit leaned against the port-side railing and smoothed a hand over a purring Momoo’s ears before quirking a brow.

“If anyone else asked this of me, I’d drown them.”

Hikari smiled, hands clasped behind her back and rocking on her heels, and Aquarius sighed with a fond smile.

“But for you, brat, I’ll let it slide.”

Lifting her urn, the Spirit pulled a geyser from deep under the ocean, and Luffy whistled.

“Oh, rainbows!”

“Focus!” Sanji scolded, kicking him upside the head. “Aquarius-chan is helping us catch fish!”

A quick circular motion of the hand created a floating bubble of water, which slowly stretched into a thin disc that safely caught the poor sea creatures that had been sent airborne, and Momoo yipped happily as a section was dipped into his mouth.

“Is this enough?”

“More than enough, Aquarius-chan!” Sanji praised, noodling closer. “There’s no way such a beautiful sight could be anything but exceptional!”

“He _does_ know I have a boyfriend, right?” Aquarius asked her key-holder, amused, and Hikari shrugged.

“I think breasts short-circuit his brain.”

“Thanks for the help, Aquarius.” Nami voiced as their cook commandeered Usopp and Chopper to get their haul into the kitchen. “We would’ve been in trouble without you.”

“Aren’t you always?” The mermaid-Spirit teased, head turning as a massive cloud of steam appeared ahead. “Ah, seems we’ve come across an underwater volcano.”

“An underwater volcano?” Luffy parroted, climbing up onto Hikari’s back to get a better look.

“There’s more undersea volcanoes than aboveground ones.” Nami agreed, hands on hips as she studied the steam. “When active, they create a hotspot and cause steam. With the volcano like this, a new island will be born here over thousands or tens of thousands of years.”

Humming in agreement, Aquarius surrounded herself and her key-holder in a thin bubble of water as the cloud encroached upon them.

“Hold your breath.”

Sputters and cough erupted across the Going Merry, Zoro nearly gagging from where he had been resting against the railing as Chopper scrambled under his shirt to escape the smell.

“It smells of sulfur!” Usopp complained, popping through the bubble to cling to Hikari for relief.

“Bear with it.” Nami ordered, coughing even as she dragged Vivi into the bubble. “We should be through it soon.”

A startled yelp escaped Aquarius when Zoro joined them, and everyone turned as the Going Merry broke free into clear air to find someone clinging to the mermaid-Spirit’s tail.

He was certainly older, dressed like a ballerina with a long pink coat with swans on each shoulder and heavy make-up, and Hikari’s expression fell flat.

“What sort of fresh hell is this?”

Then his grip failed, unable to find traction on water-slick scales, and he fell, flailing, into the sea.

“HELP ME! PLEASE! I CAN’T SWIM!”

“Aquarius?” Hikari sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose as Luffy and Usopp peered over the railing.

“Oh, alright…”

A flick of the wrist, and their unexpected guest was spat out onto the deck, soaking wet and breathing heavily from his short stint at drowning.

“I thought I’d die…” He gasped out, rising on hands and knees. “Well, I’m really swanny. To think that I was saved by pirates who are total strangers...I will never forget your kindness for the rest of my life! Also, may I have a cup of warm soup?”

“You weren’t even in there for a minute…” Hikari muttered, Zoro shifting to stand at her back and eye the newcomer distrustfully.

“Oh, hey you!” He greeted, perking right up. “What a cutie! You’re my type! I wanna eat you! Smooch!”

“Touch me, and you’ll start losing parts.” The pinkette deadpanned, Luffy’s nose scrunching up.

“So you can’t swim, huh?”

“That’s right. I ate a Devil’s Fruit.”

“Really?” Usopp voiced, popping out from behind Hikari and Luffy. “What kind of Fruit?”

“Well...Since there’s no need to rush until my ship comes to pick me up, in lieu of entertainment, I’ll show you.” He decided, rising. “This is my power!”

And smacked his palm into Luffy’s face.

“OI!” Hikari snarled, eyes a fierce gold, as she grabbed up both tonfa and Zoro drew his blades.

“What’re you-?!”

“Wait! Wait! Wait!” Their guest protested in an alarmingly-familiar voice. “I just told you that this is entertainment! Gimme a break!”

And that was Luffy’s face staring back at them, and Hikari was suddenly extremely tempted to throw herself overboard into the maw of a Sea King as Momoo crooned in confusion.

“Oh _fuck no_.”

“That’s me!” Luffy realized, popping back up on her back with a grin.

“Surprised? Surprised? Surprised? If I touch my face with my left hand…”

Doing so, the man’s heavily-made-up-face returned.

“See? I’m back to myself! This is the power of the Clone-Clone Fruit I ate!”

“The voice, too…” Nami realized, amazed at such a power.

“The body was also the same…” Usopp noted, slack-jawed, and shuddered when the man’s right hand tapped against his force and moved to-

“No. Touching.” Hikari growled out, eyes still a furious molten gold, and he wisely heeded the warning.

“Well, for that matter, I don’t have to knock you down. Now look! All I have to do is…”

Left hand to his cheek, and Usopp’s face was replicated seamlessly.

“Touch faces with my right hand. As you can see, I can mimic anyone!”

“Again, _what fresh hell is this_?” Hikari asked the heavens as Luffy, Usopp and Chopper cheered over the all the faces their unknown passenger was cycling through while dancing ballet.

Aquarius pat her head sympathetically when they joined in, and the pinkette’s forehead knocked into Zoro’s chest in defeat.

“That’s my ship!” The man realized among the improvised chorus line, leaping onto the railing as a pink-sailed, swan-accented ship approached. “It’s already time to say goodbye? What a shame…”

“What?!” Luffy, Usopp and Chopper protested immediately. “Please don’t go!”

The swordsman snorted at Hikari’s thoroughly-unimpressed expression as she looked their way.

“Please go.”

“Don’t be sad! Journeys are always accompanied by farewells, but don’t ever forget this. Friendship has nothing to do with how long we’ve known each other.”

Leaping across the gap, he landed in a perfect pirouette on the other ship as the trio burst into tears.

“Don’t cry! Now, let’s go guys!”

“Yes, sir! Mister Two, Bon Clay-sama!”

Stunned silence fell over the Going Merry as they disappeared from view, Usopp’s jaw on the deck.

“Mister Two?!”

“So he’s Mister Two, Bon Clay!” Vivi realized, and Luffy turned his head in surprise.

“Vivi, you didn’t know his face?”

“No, I’ve never met Mister Two or Mister One, as well as his partner.” The princess admitted, growing uncomfortable. “I don’t know their powers, either, though I’ve heard of rumors...Mister Two is a ballerina with a large frame who talks like a woman, he always wears a swan coat that has Bon Clay on the back…”

“AND NONE OF THAT RANG A BELL BEFORE NOW!?!” Hikari nearly roared, Luffy watching the sparks flying off her skin in wonder.

“What’s the matter?” Nami wondered as Zoro wrapped an arm around the key-holder’s waist, Luffy nuzzling into her neck with a hum, at the distressed look on Vivi’s face.

“Among the faces that he showed from his past memory...I saw my father’s face. The face of Alabasta’s king, Nefertari Cobra.”

“If, for example, you could mimic a king, you’d be able to do quite bad things, too.” Zoro noted, Aquarius pulling herself up to sit on the railing as Momoo murmured low in worry.

“We let a troublesome guy slip away, huh?” Usopp conceded, a bit chagrined.

“Then he’s our enemy?” Chopper clarified, and Nami frowned.

“He’s certainly quite a problem if he’s on our enemy’s side. If he realizes that we’re his enemy, and transforms into Luffy or Usopp using his memory from earlier, we won’t be able to trust our own friends.”

“It could have been worse.” Sanji pointed out, hearts suddenly floating over his head. “Hikari-hime was so smart, not letting him mimic anyone else!”

“I have a no-touching policy with weird strangers.” She snarked, Luffy giggling. “You should, too.”

“Well, hold on.” Zoro voiced, thoughtful. “It’s true that his opinion doesn’t have any basis, but he’s right about us not having to be scared of him. We should consider ourselves lucky that we got to see him now, because we can figure out counter-measures.”

“That’s true…” Hikari mused, reaching down to pat Chopper’s head as Luffy tugged himself higher over her shoulders. “Knowing that he can mimic people by touching them means we know to avoid someone touching our faces, and come up with ways to distinguish us from any possible copycats.”

“Which shouldn’t be hard for you.” Aquarius stated, a smirk pulling at her lips. “After all, there’s no way to copy keys without Gemini.”

“Gemini?” Luffy echoed, and Hikari hummed, distracted by her thoughts.

“Zodiac Spirits. Gemi and Mini are The Twins, and their signature ability is to fully copy anyone they touch, even memories, so long as that person is as strong or weaker than their key-holder.”

“Cool!” The rubber captain decided, almost sparkling with excitement. “Where’s their key?”

“How am I supposed to know?” She chided, flicking his forehead as Aquarius snickered.

“All I know if that they haven’t been summoned in hundreds of years, so they don’t have a key-holder, unlike most of the other Zodiacs.”

“Then Kari just has to beat them up, right?”

SLAM!

“I thought I told you to quit that!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“The wind and weather seem to be becoming stable.” Nami noted, checking the clouds overhead as Hikari lounged on the railing, smoothing a hand over Momoo’s head as the sea-cow leisurely kept pace with the Merry.

“Yes, we’ve entered Alabasta’s climate area.” Vivi agreed, starting to smile before Zoro tipped his head to the ocean behind them.

“And what we see behind us is probably also proof of Alabasta being close.”

Because floating at their backs was an entire fleet of ships, each sail emblazoned with the symbol of Baroque Works.

“It’s employees have started gathering.” Vivi realized, serious. “They’re probably Billions, the officer agents’ subordinates.”

“Which means that our enemy is at least two hundred.” Nami surmised, and Hikari eyed them thoughtfully, starting to smile.

“And not half so pathetic as the ones we took down on Cactus Island.”

“Should we fire at them while we can?!” Usopp squeaked out, rushing towards the cannon. “Let’s get on it-”

Momoo caught their sniper by the back of his overalls with gentle teeth, picking him up with an URK, and Hikari shook her head.

“And let them know we’re alive, while outnumbered and a sitting duck in open water? We have the element of surprise, and I’d rather lose it taking down those officer agents than their minions.”

“Hikari-hime’s right.” Sanji agreed, lighting his cigarette with a flick of the wrist. “If we lose our real target, that’ll be it. There’s only nine of us.”

“Which is exactly why we need to set up some countermeasures before reaching land.” The pinkette reminded them as Usopp was plopped back down, and Zoro smirked.

A quick raid of their supplies, and the crew found some extra white bedsheets to tear into strips, Hikari popping the cap off a black marker.

“Hold still.” She scolded, pinning Luffy’s left forearm down with her knees in order to draw a thick X on his skin.

“But it tickles!” The rubber boy giggled out, squirming as the others paired off to draw X’s on each other’s forearms. “Kari, it tickles!”

“It’s gonna hurt in a second if you make me mess up!”

Rolling his eyes, Zoro plucked the marker from her hand once Luffy had freed himself with a SNAP, carefully inking the dark lines on tanned skin while their captain started wrapping his arm.

“Tie it tight.” The swordsman warned as she put an X on his own arm. “Our enemy this time has too many mysteries.”

“And this will keep them from getting into our heads.” Hikari agreed, sighing at the tangle Luffy had gotten himself into and started to undo the knots.

“Does that Clone-Clone Fruit guy really become so similar when he transforms?” Sanji wondered, pulling the ties tight with his teeth, and Usopp perked up from where he was helping unwrap a netted Karoo.

“You’ve no idea! It’s not ‘similar’, it’s ‘the same’! It’s too bad, you should’ve seen it! We even danced with him!”

“I’m not interested in a male ballerina.”

“Shocking.” Hikari drawled, Zoro chuckling as Luffy flopped free and held up his arm for the pinkette to wrap instead.

“Knowing someone like that is among our enemy, we can’t carelessly act alone.”

“What should I do?” Chopper wondered, clambering into Hikari’s lap so she could tie his arm while Luffy helped a watchful Zoro.

“Do what you can do.” Usopp answered, testing the knot on Karoo’s wing. “You don’t have to do anything more. It’s okay to run away from the enemy you can’t defeat!”

“Aren’t you telling that to yourself?” Sanji retorted, noting how the sharpshooter rattled in his boots.

“What I can do, huh?” Chopper murmured, squeaking happily when Hikari cuddled him close with a purr.

“You’ll do great.”

“I can see the island now!” Luffy shouted, landing on her shoulders like a big rubbery bird.

“Let’s stop at the town called Nanohana.” Vivi advised, tightening the knot on Nami’s arm. “We have to hide the ship.”

“Alright!” Their captain cheered, urging the crew to circle around. “At any rate, no matter what happens, this thing on our left arm is the sign of our friendship! We’ll land! To a restaurant! Oh, and to Alabasta.”

“Some days, I just want to hurt you.” Hikari deadpanned, Zoro patting her shoulder.

“The enemy this time is an assassination gang, Luffy.” Nami warned, glaring. “Be careful about acting on instinct, okay?”

“You’re right. I got it. Yeah! That’s right! Yeah! Got it!”

SMACK!

“If you’ve got it, you don’t have to keep saying it.” Hikari stated calmly, and Luffy raised a hand from where her foot had pinned his face to the deck.

“Got it…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nanohana was a bustling port town amid the blistering sand, clay buildings painted with faded colors and the people dressed in long, bright robes against the sun.

“So this is an Alabasta city?” Usopp noted, peering over the yards of sand that separated the hidden Going Merry from the town limits.

“Listen, guys!” Nami called, grabbing everyone’s attention as Momoo sniffed the dusty shoreline. “Use self-control and try not to act on instinct too much!”

“Yes, Nami-san!” Sanji agreed immediately, and Zoro snorted.

“The guy who needs to hear that the most is already gone.”

“FOOD PLACE!!!”

“Stars damn it, Luffy…” Hikari sighed, watching the dust trail as Luffy took off at supersonic speeds.

“What should we do?” Vivi worried, and Sanji hopped onto the railing.

“Don’t worry. Find where the most commotion is, and he’ll be there.”

“He’s not wrong.” Hikari admitted, purring to calm Momoo’s anxiety. “But it’d help if he remembered he’s the only one of us with a bounty.”

“Forget about him.” Zoro advised, throwing down the rope ladder. “Let him do whatever. Let’s eat first. We can think after that.”

“When his stupidity gets us run out of town, you’ll give a shit.” The pinkette warned, lifting Chopper and his backpack onto her shoulder.

“Karoo and I can’t go with you.” Vivi admitted, stepping back, and Momoo perked up with a curious moo.

“Are you not feeling well?” Usopp worried, Hikari turning immediately to eye the princess.

“I’m too recognizable here.”

“That’s for sure.” Zoro agreed, thumb tapping against Wado’s hilt, and Sanji lit up.

“Don’t worry! I’ll go shopping for you too, Vivi-chan!”

Karoo squawked from the bow-side deck, and Momoo yelped when he spotted a ship also hidden amid the rocks, bristling.

“Mister Three’s ship!” Vivi realized, Usopp going pale.

“That creep didn’t kick the bucket after all?!”

“There’s no doubt about it. His ship runs on the power of his Wax-Wax Fruit.”

“This is bad.” Zoro grunted, Hikari sighing in annoyance.

“The bastard’s seen our faces. Well…”

Her gaze slid to Sanji, contemplative.

“Most of them.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You know, when I suggested disguises, this wasn’t what I was thinking.”

“There’s no telling where he is, so we hafta move without standing out.” Usopp argued, voice muffled from the thick blanket thrown over him, Zoro, Nami, Vivi and Karoo.

“And you’re not standing out?” Hikari drawled, having opted out of this particular scheme.

Instead, she was wearing an outfit provided by Virgo, a pair of white leggings tucked into her thigh-high boots and a soft gray crop top with a deep v-shaped neckline, a wide diamond-shaped cut-out over her back and long flowing sleeves, and a deep, loose hood creating shadows to hide her face and distinctive hair.

Nami had snickered at the expression on Zoro’s face when the pinkette tucked all twelve keys between her breasts, both earning a confused glare.

“Do you have a better idea of where to hide them?”

Sanji personally loved it, if the way he was floating and noodling was any indication, and it took a solid punch for him to focus and find a secluded spot for their group to wait safely.

“Alright! You can come out, guys!” Usopp stated, throwing the blanket off his head, and Zoro frowned at him.

“We’ve been long out.”

“Looks like nobody noticed us!”

“And that’s how you know miracles _do_ happen.” Hikari drawled, patting Chopper’s head as the Zoan paced back around in his Walk Point.

“Vivi-chan, we’re safe from view for a little while now.” Sanji voiced, seeing the bluenette’s pensive expression. “Vivi-chan?”

“Yes?!” She yelped, startled from her thoughts. “Yes? You were saying?”

“What’s wrong?” Hikari worried, moving to place a hand on the younger’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, I just felt a little relieved, so...At the very least, from what I’ve seen of this town, things still seem alright.” Vivi explained, quieting the group as she smiled. “I probably can’t rest easy...but I think I’ll make it in time.”

“It does seem like a peaceful town.” Nami agreed, and Zoro frowned, fixing the princess with a serious stare.

“Hey, Vivi. You said you had a plan for stopping the rebel army, right? What will you do now? What should _we_ do?”

“Eh?”

“If we’re stopping this, we need to move quickly.” Hikari agreed, hands on hips.

“That’s true, but the agreement was only to bring me to Alabasta-”

“Come on, now.” Nami scolded, knocking against the bluenette’s forehead. “Are you still saying that? We traveled this far together, we can’t just leave you now.”

“Yeah, Vivi!” Usopp agreed, puffing up his chest. “Don’t act so distant!”

“Plus, I’m interested in this Warlord of the Sea.” Zoro voiced, smirking as Hikari rolled her eyes.

“Down, boy.”

“And besides, if this country gets destroyed, we won’t get our reward for bringing you here.” Nami muttered darkly, yelping when Hikari smacked her upside the head.

“Really?”

Rolling her eyes, the pinkette turned to Vivi with a smile.

“We’re with you to the end, Vivi. So what’s the plan?”

“Northwest of this city is an oasis called Yuba.” Vivi explained after a moment, knuckling back tears. “That’s where the rebel army is based. I’d like to go there first to stop the uprising. But to get to Yuba, we’ll have to cross the desert. For that, we’ll need to stock up on the necessary food and water here, but if Mister Three is in town…”

“In that case, it’s no problem.” Sanji assured, adjusting his cigarette deftly. “He hasn’t seen my face.”

“Or one other.” Zoro reminded them, and Nami smiled at their little Zoan’s surprise.

“Right, Chopper?”

“That’ll be perfect.” The cook agreed, patting his hat. “We’ll have a lot to carry. I’m counting on you.”

“Right! Got it!”

“Oh, and Sanji?” Hikari voiced sweetly, grabbing him by the tie and yanking him to her level. “If anything happens to Chopper, I’ll turn your teeth into a necklace. Understood?”

“Of course, Hikari-hime!” He gushed, heart-eye pulsing and oblivious to her threat. “I won’t let him out of my sight!”

“Good.” She muttered, releasing the cook to curl a hand in Chopper’s thick ruff. “Be safe, both of you.”

“Still…” Nami grumbled as the pair left with a detailed list, frowning at the sky. “Where could that idiot be, and what’s he doing?”

Settling against a half-destroyed wall, Hikari pulled a pack of cards from her pocket and began to shuffle.

“I’ve learned that asking questions like that leads to madness. Who wants to play Slap Jack?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I could have told you he would do that.” Hikari noted hours later, eyeing the dancer’s outfits that Nami and Vivi were wearing courtesy of Sanji.

“This is wonderful!” Nami decided, smiling as she twirled in the long, loose skirt. “I love these kinds of clothes!”

“I know I asked for you to shop for us, Sanji-kun, but aren’t these outfits for dancer girls?” Vivi spoke up, a bit more uncomfortable with the tight cropped top and low-rise skirt.

“Come now! It looks marvelous on you!” The cook praised, practically drooling, and Hikari rolled her eyes.

“I asked for commoner clothing…”

“Dancers are commoners, too!”

“But we’re going to cross a desert…”

“Don’t worry! If you get tired, I’ll carry you!”

“There’s no getting through the him…” The princess conceded, resigned to her impractical fate, and Zoro almost choked on his kebab when a third outfit was presented to Hikari.

“I bought one for you as well, Hikari-hime! It matches your eyes wonderfully!”

“Yeah...no.” She shot down immediately, thoroughly unimpressed.

“B-B-But…”

“Are you saying Virgo has bad taste?”

Zoro snickered as Sanji visibly wrestled between his desire to see Hikari in the revealing dancer’s outfit and his almost-worship of her female Celestial Spirits, almost seeming to shut down.

“That’s what I thought.” She drawled, frowning once she spotted Chopper sprawled on the sand and scooping him up. “What’s wrong?”

“The smell is killing me…”

“Oh, the perfume’s gotten to him.” Sanji informed them, and the pinkette glared, nose scrunching as she took a draconic breath to register the pungent scent.

“You mean the _perfume you bought_?”

“Like this?” Nami wondered mischievously, putting on another spray, and the poor reindeer jerked with a violent gag.

BAM!

“Who told you that was a smart idea?!” Hikari growled, and the redhead mumbled quick apologies, rubbing the fresh lump on her head.

“In any case, we’ve accomplished our first goal of gathering supplies.” Usopp voiced, hoping to cool her ire.

“We’re going to Yuba, right?” Zoro agreed, brushing off his hands, and Vivi nodded.

“Yes, but first is a trek through the desert. It will likely be much more difficult than you imagine right now. There’s no telling what might happen. One wrong step in this burning land, and there’s no guarantee you’ll survive.”

“So Aquarius has told me.” Hikari agreed, Chopper lifting his nose from her shirt with a curious squeak as everyone turned to her in surprise. “What? Her boyfriend, Scorpio, usually has key-holders from Alabasta because his ability to manipulate sand is strongest in a desert like this. He gave her a traveler’s guide that she passed on to me once we decided to come.”

“Are you going to be looking for his key?” Nami wondered, and the pinkette smiled, shrugging.

“I might.”

Zoro, personally, was vividly reminded of the kiss he had received in Loguetown and decided that _he_ was going to find that key.

“I’m still a little uneasy and unsure about taking you to such a place, but I want to return peace to this kingdom.” Vivi admitted solemnly, unable to meet their eyes. “So I...I ask you again. Everyone, please lend me your help!”

“You finally said it.” Nami approved, starting to smile. “We’ve been waiting for it.”

“There’s no telling what happens on the sea, either. Right, Vivi-chan?” Sanji agreed, tapping ash off his cigarette.

“Yeah, it’ll be no different from before.” Zoro added, adjusting his katana in his more-or-less-hidden haramaki.

“I can’t wait to see the desert!” Chopper voiced excitedly, and Hikari laughed, carding a hand through his damp fur.

“Let’s see what you think once we get started.”

“Alright, guys!” Usopp cheered, jumping to his feet. “Whadya say we get going to Yuba now?!”

“YEAH!”

The pinkette looked over the group with a quirked brow, amused.

“Aren’t you forgetting someone?”

…

“THAT MORON!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“No.”

“But-”

“ _No_.”

“But Kari-”

SMASH!

“You’re hopeless.” Hikari decided, dragging a concussed Usopp by the ankle while pulling a chagrined Chopper in his Heavy Point by the ear. “At least realize when someone’s trying to con you.”

“Quit wasting time and look for Luffy!” Nami agreed, upset that the pair had nearly been suckered into spending a thousand beli on a gold-painted apple.

“Where did Luffy run off to, anyway?” Zoro mused as Chopper was allowed to straighten after profusely apologizing, and paused as something caught his eye. “He’s…”

Hikari followed his gaze to find another foreigner, a young man a bit older than their swordsman, with shaggy dark hair and tattooed tan skin, wearing only loose dark shorts, sneakers, and a wide-brimmed orange hat.

“Just a quick question. Have you seen this guy?”

The old woman manning her stall took in the wanted poster that was handed over, eyes squinting against the strong Alabasta sun.

“Monkey D Luffy?”

Hikari perked right up, eyes flashing gold as she studied this man more closely.

“He might be here in town. I’ve been looking for him for a while now.”

“Hm...Never seen him. Oh, but if you’re looking for someone, ask at the restaurant up ahead. The owner there knows a lot of people.”

“Much appreciated. The restaurant, huh? I was just feeling hungry, anyways.”

When he turned away, revealing the tattoo inked across his back, Hikari froze.

“Holy shit.”

“Why’s he looking for Luffy?” Usopp wondered, unnerved by her shock.

“Is he a bounty hunter?” Nami worried, fists clenching.

“No. He’s not.” Zoro answered, and she met his eyes.

“He’s a pirate.”

“As a former pirate hunter, there’s no way I wouldn’t recognize it.” He agreed, gaze shifting to the right-

“You’ve _got_ to be kidding me.” Hikari deadpanned upon spotting Sergeant Major Tashigi at a weapon’s stall a few yards away, berating one of the shopkeepers.

“What is that woman doing here?!” Zoro cursed, yanking the key-holder behind a large piece of pottery to keep from being spotted.

“What’s going on?” Nami wondered, horribly confused by this strange behavior, and Hikari sighed.

“That woman over there is a marine from Loguetown. And if she’s here…”

“Tashigi.”

“Captain Smoker!” The swordswoman greeted as her superior dropped a few unconscious bodies to the sand.

“Small-fry pirates. They thought they could act like big-shots around me, so I took care of ‘em.”

“Even in such a distant land, your distaste for pirates is unfaltering!”

“If you got time for pointless chit-chat, have the royal army take ‘em.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Captain Smoker.” Hikari finished, the entire group now crammed around her and Zoro.

“The Navy Captain from Loguetown.” Nami hissed, unable to hide her concern.

“Are you saying he followed us all the way here from Loguetown?!” Usopp squeaked out, pale.

“It would seem so.” Zoro grumbled, gaze drifting down the street. “And then there’s that man...Things could get ugly quick.”

“We need to find Luffy _now_.” Hikari agreed as the marines walked away, heart thumping just a bit too fast. “Come on.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Fucking perfume…”

Sneezing the strong smell out of her nose, Hikari cuddled a Brain Point Chopper to her chest and growled as he tried to hide from it in her breasts.

“We can’t find Luffy’s scent with all this shit in the air.”

Pressing into Zoro’s chest in the hopes of smothering the perfume in her nostrils, the key-holder sighed at a dismayed wail from Sanji, and Nami rolled her eyes.

“Hey, now! This is bad! It feels like we’ll be in big trouble if we don’t get moving quick.”

“Big trouble?” Vivi echoed, brow furrowing as the groups merged once more in their hideout.

“The Navy’s here.” Their navigator explained, and the princess gasped.

“The Navy?!”

“And a strange man.” Chopper added, peeking out from between Hikari and Zoro as he pat her hooded ponytail in amusement.

“Let’s just find Luffy as quick as possible and leave town.” Nami insisted, blinking when Hikari suddenly snapped upright and Zoro shoved Usopp’s shoulder in warning.

“Hide!”

“What for?”

“What is it?”

“Trouble.” She replied simply, the thundering of racing footsteps highlighting her statement.

“Don’t let him escape!”

“After him!”

“Some idiot pirate must be running around town or something.” Sanji declared, puffing at his cigarette, and Hikari fixed her crew with a deadpan stare.

“You mean like _our_ idiot pirate?”

…

“GET BACK HERE, STRAW HAT!!!”

“IT’S YOU!?!”

Luffy turned as he passed their hiding spot, sand kicking up in his wake.

“Heya, Kari! Zoro! Is that where you guys are?”

“You idiot, go get rid of them first!” Zoro shouted when the rubber boy began to head straight for them, and Hikari grabbed up the nearest of their supplies.

“Too late! MOVE!”

“Hurry! To the ship!” Vivi shouted, grabbing what supplies she could as Chopper took on his Heavy Point to help make their escape.

“Open, Gate of the Ram!” Hikari stated firmly, marines stumbling in terror at the sight of a golden key. “ARIES!”

“Sumimasen…” The Celestial Spirit apologized, holding out her hands. “But I can’t let you get any closer...Wool Bomb!”

The first wave of marines cried out as they were overcome by a wave of pink wool, which soon died into delighted cries at how soft it was, and Smoker blazed past with a curse.

“Fall back! Straw Hat is mine! White Snake!”

“Gate Close!” Hikari ordered, Aries disappearing moments before being engulfed, and Smoker’s eyes went wide as celestial light trailed off the pinkette’s fist, eyes a molten, slit-pupil gold.

“Celestial Dragon’s Whip!”

Their attacks burst apart on contact, and the Navy Captain reared back in surprise before committing to a second attack.

“White Blow!”

“Heat Haze!”

Smoke and fire collided in midair, canceling each other out, and Hikari tumbled, startled.

And there was the man that had been searching for Luffy, tongues of flame flickering off his skin as he blocked Smoker’s way.

“You, huh?”

“Give it up.” He stated confidently, Luffy turning sharply. “You may be smoke, but I’m fire. A fight between your power and mine would never end.”

“Who is he?” Usopp squeaked out, quite done with surprises for today. “Why is he helping us?”

“Ace?!”

This unexpected declaration from their captain nearly gave the entire crew whiplash.

“You haven’t changed a bit, Luffy.” He acknowledged, smirking.

“You ate a Devil’s Fruit?!”

“Yup! The Flare-Flare Fruit! Anyways, we can’t chat like this! I’ll catch up! You guys run! I’ll hold these guys off!”

“Let’s go!” Luffy agreed easily, and the Straw Hats needed no further prompting to continue towards the Going Merry.

“But, Luffy, who is that guy?!” Usopp reiterated, scrambling to keep a hold on his load.

“Is he an acquaintance of yours?” Vivi wondered, helping guide Karoo’s panicked momentum with one hand.

“Yeah! He’s my brother!”

And only pure desperation kept the crew from a collective face-plant.

“Well, that explains how he survived so long without us.” Hikari muttered, catching Usopp before he fell too far behind as a great plume of fire rose at their backs.

“Focus! He’s buying us time, so don’t waste it!”

“But Luffy, is it true that guy’s your brother?” Nami clarified, almost horrified at the thought.

“Yeah! His name’s Ace!”

“You having a brother isn’t that surprising.” Zoro admitted, hefting a barrel higher on his shoulder.

“But it’s surprising that’s he’s _Fire Fist Ace_!” Hikari clarified, Nami glancing over in surprise as they took a sharp turn.

“You know of him?”

“He’s the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, of course I know of him!”

“This way!”

Cursing when she saw Luffy deviate off-course, Hikari threw her cargo onto Karoo’s back and veered after him.

“Cool! The fireball’s gone even higher!”

“Idiot!” The pinkette snarled, catching a startled Luffy by the front of his vest. “Look where you’re going!”

“Huh? Kari?”

Glancing back to see if they were being followed, she yanked him into an alleyway, taking a few random turns before coming to a stop.

“That’s weird…” Luffy muttered, looking around with a frown. “We’re the only ones here…”

“Of course we are, you moron!” The key-holder bit out, shaking him furiously. “Because you can’t follow the others _even if your life depends on it_!”

“Where did they go?” He wondered, flopping along with the motion until she released him in defeat.

“Back to Momoo and the Merry, _like we should be_. Smoker knows we’re here, we can’t delay getting out of Nanohana.”

“Sheesh! I guess my letting you escape was pretty much pointless.”

“ACE!” The rubber boy cheered, climbing up an exasperated Hikari’s back to wave both arms wildly as his brother hopped down to them.

“Haven’t seen you in a while, Luffy!”

“You too, Ace!”

“And who’s this?” The older wondered, and Luffy’s grin somehow got brighter.

“This is Kari! She’s on my crew!”

“I’m the babysitter.” She drawled, offering a hand to shake that Ace accepted with a snicker. “Dragneel Hikari, key-holder of the Straw Hat Pirates.”

“A key-holder?” He realized, whistling lowly. “Even Whitebeard doesn’t have a key-holder. Good job, Luffy.”

The straw-hat boy was clearly very pleased with himself, and her eyes rolled fondly.

“I hope he hasn’t caused you too much trouble.”

“Wouldn’t have stuck around if he did.” She admitted, blushing when Luffy hummed happily and tipped her head back to plant a quick kiss-

There was a distinct choking sound, and both blinked at the shell-shocked expression on Ace’s face as he looked rapidly between them, struggling to breathe and comprehend what he was seeing at the same time.

“You-But-How-”

“Hey, Ace, are you okay?” Luffy wondered, concerned. “Do you need some meat?”

At this point, all Ace could do was point between them, and the straw-hat boy perked up.

“Oh, I know! Kari kisses make everything better!”

BAM!

“NO WAY!” Hikari snapped, a crate cracking open under the impact of Luffy’s face, and Ace seemed to be having some sort of fit by this point as his brother snapped back with a pout. “You can’t go five minutes without a kiss, and that’s what started this!”

“So only me and Zoro get Kari kisses?”

“Right now, I’m seriously debating if _you_ get any!”

“Zoro?” Ace wheezed, eyes bugging and face paling.

“But I like Kari kisses!” Luffy protested, rubbery arms and legs looping around the key-holder like rope.

“If you’re just going to shove me off on other people, you’re not getting anymore!” She shot back, turning away from his approaching face, as Ace seemed to have an existential crisis.

“I didn’t mean to, Kari! You don’t have to kiss Ace! Promise!” Luffy wheedled, stretching his neck every which way in an attempt to face her before Hikari gave up with a huff, allowing him to pop a kiss to her nose.

“You’re lucky you’re cute.”

Ace was on the verge of a mental breakdown, as if he was witnessing the first signs of the apocalypse, when a flicker of movement caught the corner of her eye.

“Stop right there, Fire Fist Ace!”

The Logia user composed himself as men appeared from around corners and through nearby windows and from rooftops overhead, aiming pistols and hefting swords, axes, and an assortment of easily-concealed weapons.

Luffy’s grin sharpened, and flickers of gold appeared in Hikari’s eyes as she took in the apparent ambush, brow quirked.

“As you can see, there’s no place to run now!” One of the men, a larger fellow with two swords strapped to his back, stated boldly. “Fire Fist Ace! Your head is mine! Prepare yourself!”

“Hey, isn’t that Straw Hat Luffy?” One of the others realized, and Hikari rolled her eyes as surprise rippled through the ranks.

“He’s worth thirty-million beli!”

“Talk about lucky!” The ringleader noted, pleased. “Fire Fist Ace _and_ Straw Hat Luffy! Once I have your heads, our promotion is a hop, skip and jump away!”

“Anyway, let’s find your ship.” Ace voiced as the trio passed their supposed attacker, Luffy dropping his chin on Hikari’s hair while swinging his feet.

“They’ve probably already pulled the Merry from where we docked, so we should head for the shore.” The pinkette noted, unbothered.

“Yeah.” Luffy agreed, humming a tune, as veins visibly popped all around.

“GET THEM!!!”

A silver key flashed, and the closest men went extremely pale immediately.

“We don’t have time for this shit.” Hikari bit out, Ace watching in amazement as ethereal light pulsed off the blade. “Open, Gate of Canis Major! MORO!”

High-pitched squeals pierced the air as Moro burst from her Gate with a snarl, Ace’s eyes widening as she tore through the ranks like a hot, sharp-toothed knife through butter.

“KEY-HOLDER!”

“RUN!”

But it was far too late for that, and the leader of this rogue band of Billions stared, shaken, at the blood-spattered alleyway as Moro licked her dripping jowls, twin tails lashing side to side.

“You dare try to attack my pups?” She growled out, pinning the man with flashing gold eyes, and a distinct ammonia smell permeated the air before he toppled over stiff as a board.

“And here I was hoping the Billions would be more of a challenge…” Hikari muttered, fairly disappointed, as Moro padded up alongside the humans with perked ears.

“Don’t worry, Kari, you’ll get to hit someone stronger once we find Crocodile.” Luffy assured, patting her head, and Hikari rolled her eyes while swinging up onto the canine-Spirit’s back.

“I’d better. Come on, Ace-san.”

Ace wisely decided that arguing with the girl who so casually summoned a man-eating wolf from a silver key was not how he wanted to start his day, and grabbed onto Luffy’s outstretched hand as Moro broke into a steady lope through the winding backstreets.

“Ready?” Hikari warned once they broke into a wider avenue, and Luffy whooped in delight as Moro took off like an arrow, sand flying in a wake behind her paws.

Ace laughed at the sheer speed, one hand curled into Luffy’s vest as they curved around a corner, the ocean rushing into view-

“There they are!” The rubber captain shouted, spotting the Going Merry quite a few yards from the stone dock, and Hikari’s eyes bled gold.

“Hold on.”

Putting on a last burst of speed, Moro pushed off the edge, and Ace’s eyes widened as she disintegrated from beneath them in shards of celestial light-

Luffy squeaked in excitement as gold-silver-scaled wings broke through the opening in Hikari’s top, spreading wide into a downward stroke as he wrapped one arm around Ace’s torso while he grabbed the rope docking a small skiff and tightened both legs around her waist.

Momoo rose from the water with a cry, tears in his eyes, and they landed with a harder THUMP than intended on the deck, Hikari barely catching her balance as Zoro grabbed her shoulder.

“Zo-?”

The swordsman hauled her up for a kiss, Luffy giggling as he was pulled in for his own-

BAM!

The crew blinked down at where Ace had face-planted, and Luffy reached down to poke him as Hikari frowned.

"Luffy, is your brother okay?"

"Oh, Ace is always falling asleep!" He assured, giving their swordsman puppy-dog eyes. “Zoro kisses?”

Shaking his head in amusement, he pressed a kiss to the straw-hat boy's mouth as Chopper jumped to hug Hikari's chest.

"I-I'm so glad you made it back!"

"Of course I made it back." She cooed, cuddling the fluffy reindeer Zoan. "I just had to get our genius captain."

"Ace! Come on, Ace! Meet my crew!" Luffy called, snapping his hand out to poke until Ace smacked it away and rose with a sigh. "That's Chopper, he's a seven-form interesting transforming reindeer that's also a doctor! And there's Nami, she's our navigator! She likes maps and tangerines and money! Usopp's our sniper, he tells the best lies! And Sanji's our cook, he makes the best food!"

Luffy grinned, arms looping around both Hikari and Zoro.

"And Kari and Zoro are my special nakama! Kari's gonna get all those cool gold keys, and Zoro's gonna be the world's greatest swordsman!"

"Special nakama…" Ace repeated, as if the words haunted him, and Sanji took pity on him.

“You probably have lots of catching up to do. Why don’t you come in? I’ll make some tea.”

“No, that’s okay.” The older pirate replied, shaking himself to alertness. “Don’t do it on account of me.”

A flick of the finger, and the cook’s cigarette was lit, an impressive show of control and restraint after seeing his raw power earlier.

“I would’ve expected him to be as reckless as Luffy.” Usopp admitted, and Nami nodded, amazed.

“No, this sensible man can’t possibly be Luffy’s brother!”

“The sea is just full of surprises.” The blonde decided philosophically, and Hikari rolled her eyes.

“Not that this isn’t a lovely reunion, but we have company.”

The group turned, expressions suddenly serious, and Vivi gasped.

“Baroque Works! Those are the Billions’ ships!”

“Those guys again?” Luffy chirped, sagging against Hikari’s back again.

“Luffy, I’ll clean them up.” Ace offered, happy for a distraction, and hopped down to the small skiff he had dragged along to the Going Merry.

“What’s he going to do?” Nami wondered as flames propelled him towards the coming ships.

“Hopefully something impressive.” Hikari voiced, Luffy perking up as Zoro leaned over both of them, interested.

“Let’s see how skilled this Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates really is.”

Picking up speed easily, Ace angled himself to come in from their port side, pushing off in an impressive arc over the sails as his skiff sunk under the water out of sight.

Twisting to avoid panicked gunfire, flames propelling him the last few yards, Ace landed on his risen skiff on Baroque Works’ unprotected starboard flanks.

“Fire Fist!”

And all five were blown right out of the water.

“...Okay, that was impressive.” Hikari admitted into the stunned silence, Luffy grinning ear to ear.

“Yeah!”

“Momoo?”

Blinking rapidly, the sea-cow murmured softly as he skirted the mess, lowering his horn for Ace to grab onto and be towed back to the Merry.

With their new ally aboard, Nami issued orders to get them on track to the river Vivi had mentioned flowing inland before Sanji brought out a keg of the good ale to celebrate.

“Ace, are you sure you won’t join us?” Luffy complained, pouting around his mug.

“I’m chasing a certain man.” The older brother replied, taking a deep gulp. “His name’s Blackbeard.”

“He’s the pirate who attacked Drum Island!” Vivi realized, startled, and Ace nodded solemnly.

“He used to be a member of the Second Division of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of my men, but he committed the worst possible sin on a pirate ship. He killed a crewmember and jumped ship. So, as the commander, I gotta find and get rid of him.”

“So that’s why you’re chasing after him?” Usopp clarified, visibly green at the thought of such a betrayal.

“I came here because I caught word that Blackbeard was seen in Yuba.”

“Then your destination is the same as ours.” Nami pointed out, unrolling a map of Alabasta that Vivi had provided. “We’ve just entered the Sandora River. First, we’ll land at Erumalu, then head into the interior of Alabasta to reach Yuba here.”

“The leader of the rebel army is in Yuba.” The princess explained, Ace nodding.

“I see. So you’re headed to Yuba next.”

“I’ll follow Nami-san and Hikari-hime and Vivi-chan wherever they go!” Sanji claimed, noodling happily, and Luffy giggled into his ale as Zoro scoffed.

“Get lost, love-cook.”

“Say what, you-”

BAM!

“Quit it!”

“Anyways, it looks like we can travel together for a short while!” Nami concluded, hoping to keep Hikari from hitting their cook a second time as he praised her ‘exquisite technique’.

“Yeah, yeah!” Usopp agreed quickly, raising his mug for a toast. “His brother is more than welcome here!”

Luffy laughed, clanking his own hard against the sniper’s.

“Let’s have a fun time, Ace!”


	13. Alabasta Arc: Part 2

Ace was not having a fun time. 

Ace was currently questioning everything he thought certain in life, like was the sky really blue? 

Was the ocean really wet? 

Was drowning really that bad? 

Because his baby brother, who had once looked a naked woman straight in the boobs and asked why they were so saggy, was currently sprawled out over a reclining Hikari, using her chest as a pillow while enjoying the breeze from each backswing of Zoro’s weights. 

If not for his insatiable appetite, recklessness and stories of their childhood, Ace would be convinced this was some sort of imposter. 

“What a nice breeze…” Chopper murmured from where he was sprawled across Luffy’s chest, fur ruffled, and Luffy hummed in agreement. 

“Enjoy it while you can.” Hikari advised, turning a page in her book on Alabasta’s mythology. “The desert’s not gonna be as nice.” 

Both nodded, utterly boneless with relaxation, until Zoro paused in his next swing. 

The Going Merry’s course had shifted, edging towards the shore they had been following, and Luffy perked up as Hikari closed her book. 

“What’s going on?” 

“We’re making a quick stop.” Nami explained from the upper deck, hands on hips. “Vivi has something she wants Karoo to do.” 

The anchor was dropped, and the pinkette grunted when Luffy pushed off to scramble onto shore with most of the crew, Chopper squealing along for the ride. 

Grumbling, Hikari approached the railing as Momoo rose to see what had pulled them off-course, ears twitching and sending large droplets of water to darken the parched shoreline. 

“Karoo, I want you to go to Alubarna Palace on your own and deliver this letter to my father.” Vivi stated, tucking said papers safely into her duck’s saddlebags before wrapping a protective shawl around him. “I’ve written down everything Igaram and I learned about Crocodile and Baroque Works’ schemes, and that I’ve returned to Alabasta alive with supportive friends. Can you do it? You’ll have to cross the desert on your own.” 

Karoo lifted a wing in salute, and a smile broke through Vivi’s solemn countenance. 

“Listen, you have to drink your water with care in the desert. Now, let my father know this kingdom can be saved.” 

With a confident squawk, Karoo zoomed off over the sand, lost in a dust-trail within moments. 

“I knew Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords, was in this country, but a pirate trying to steal a kingdom?” Ace noted, shaking his head as he joined Hikari and Zoro at the railing. “That sounds like a bad joke. A pirate dropping anchor in one spot and settling down? Don’t tell me he’s trying to usurp the throne.” 

“That’s been the obvious goal, yeah.” She acknowledged, gaze drifting thoughtfully to the wavering horizon. 

“There could be another side to this takeover thing, some sort of deeper goal.” 

Zoro frowned, considering this as the others boarded, putting together the last details before their long trek from Erumalu. 

“That’s what I’ve been thinking.” The pinkette admitted, turning towards Ace with a frown. “You don’t start a secret underground organization by making your endgame obvious. Or by being stupid. He has to know the World Government would step in if he succeeds at taking over one of the founding nations, and they’d probably send an Admiral, just to be sure no one ever thinks of doing this again. So what else is he hoping to achieve here that would make him think the World Government would back off?” 

“We’ll figure it-” 

“What happened, Nami-san?!” 

Sanji’s very vocal despair drew their attention around to find Nami had pulled a white traveler’s cloak on over her revealing disguise, the hem nearly brushing the floor and the sleeves touching her palm. 

“Where did your dancer outfit go?! AH!” 

The cook was practically in tears when Vivi stepped out in a matching cloak, hers a dark blue. 

“Not you too, Vivi-chan! Why are you dressed like that?!” 

“In the desert, any exposed skin will wind up terribly sunburned.” The princess explained innocently, confused when Sanji fell to the deck in a morose heap. 

“This is terrible...My dancer girls…” 

“Oh, I have one for you as well, Hikari-san.” Vivi remembered, and the pinkette shrugged. 

“Don’t worry. Leo told me I can passively absorb celestial light without being burned, so it’s actually better if I don’t cover up too much.” 

“Really?” Chopper voiced, dressed in his own Alabastan traveling clothes. 

“Honestly? I’ve never felt better.” She admitted, and Ace watched little starbursts of light sparkle around her raised fingers as the Zoan cooed in amazement. 

Pleased, Luffy perked up as the Going Merry approached a rock jutting out from the shoreline ahead, the perfect height for them to jump right across-

A sharp cry had Hikari whirling around in surprise as Momoo burst from beneath the water, visibly battered, and Zoro’s gaze dropped to strange shadows darting around him. 

“What’s that?!” 

An entire army of turtle-shelled seals burst onto the shore, and Momoo whimpered, hiding behind the Merry. 

“Kung-Fu Dugongs!” Vivi realized, unaware of the sudden chill falling over Hikari’s face. 

“If you wanna come on shore, you’ll have to beat me first.” Chopper translated for the foremost Dugong, frowning. “But if you fight like him, don’t even bother trying, is what he says.” 

... 

“Stay here.” Hikari ordered coldly, cracking her knuckles. “I have to teach some manners.” 

Nami covered a protesting Chopper’s eyes as the pinkette vaulted over the railing, and Usopp hid behind a stunned Vivi as their resident dragon got to work. 

Ace whistled, following the arc of a Dugong that flew over the mast. 

“What a woman.” 

Zoro’s smirk was sharp as a shark’s as Luffy giggled, his smile fierce while he watched the pinkette tear through the opposing force like a battering ram. 

“Kari’s the best.” 

Within minutes, the entire troop of Kung-Fu Dugongs were bowing rapidly, and Hikari scoffed, unimpressed. 

“So you’re my students now, huh?” She mused, hands on hips, and Sanji melted into a puddle of praising goo. “Then I’ve got an important task for you.” 

Gesturing towards the Merry, the key-holder pinned the entire troop with molten-gold eyes. 

“You see that ship? Momoo’s in charge of protecting it, and your job is to help him. Do you have a problem with that?” 

The Dugongs shifted a moment, eyeing said sea-cow, who bared his fangs back as the day seemed to dim around them. 

“ _ Do we have a problem _ ?” 

Every last Kung-Fu Dugong quickly snapped a salute, sweating bullets, and Chopper translated their quick bleats. 

“Of course, sensei!” 

“Awesome.” Hikari noted, smile far too sweet to be safe as the shadows receded. 

With the Kung-Fu Dugongs standing guard under a watchful Momoo, Nami and Usopp managed to still their knocking knees as the crew gathered their packs to disembark and start across the sand. 

“Why couldn’t they come with us?” Luffy whined, and Hikari reached over to smack him upside the head. 

“Aquatic animals don’t live in the desert for a reason. Besides, they were jerks to Momoo.” 

Pouting in thought, the rubber boy nodded decisively. 

“Yeah, Momoo’s much cooler.” 

“Obviously.” 

Zoro snickered as the group crested a dune-

And faced a wasteland. 

“Is this the town of Yuba?” Luffy wondered, a crestfallen Vivi shaking her head. 

“No...This is Erumalu. It used to be known as the City of Green. The sight of this town explains everything. What the Baroque Works’ organization has done to this country...What the people of Alabasta are going through…” 

Hikari looked over the half-buried buildings and withered palm trees, a deep street going straight down between them, and felt a prickle of unease up her spine. 

“It’s a ghost town now, but up until just recently, it was a thriving city full of greenery.” Vivi explained, leading them onward. 

“This place was?” Zoro muttered, a tap of his boot causing the bark to flake away like thin wax. 

“Rain was always scarce, but even so, the city was always able to manage by saving every drop of rainwater it could. But, for three years now, not a single drop of rain has fallen in any part of this country.” 

“For three years?” Sanji reiterated, shocked. 

“That long?” Chopper squeaked, already panting in the heat and wondering how anyone could survive without a source of water. 

“But even without rain, what about the river we just crossed?” Zoro wondered, Usopp nodding. 

“Yeah, couldn’t they just pump water in from that big river?” 

“The answer to that is up ahead.” 

This cryptic reply only solidified Hikari’s dread, and she raised a hand to the keys in her bosom, a “ _ We’ve got you, hime _ ” soothing her nerves. 

“Never in the thousands of years of Alabasta’s history has the rain stopped completely. But there  _ was _ one place where the rain fell more than usual...Alubarna, the capital. The city with the king’s palace. The people called it the King’s Miracle. Until what happened that day, at least...When they discovered Dance Powder.” 

A hiss escaped Hikari, like the revelation stung, and Luffy frowned at her. 

“Shit, Dance Powder?” 

“You’ve heard of it?” 

“It’s a rain-summoning powder. If you burn it and let the smoke rise, you can artificially cause it to rain.” 

“Oh! I get it!” The rubber boy chirped. “You mean that mystery powder! I ate some a while back! It tastes really bad!” 

“Of course you did…” Hikari sighed, Ace chuckling as she reached out to THWACK him again. “It’s not for eating, idiot. It was made by a man in a country where it doesn’t rain, and the people were happy enough to dance...at first. But then the neighboring country suffered a drought. This is because the Dance Powder causes clouds to mature more quickly into rainclouds and rain sooner than nature intended.” 

“So one place gets rain, and the other doesn’t.” Zoro surmised, frowning. 

“Exactly. Eventually, the two countries went to war, and the World Government put a worldwide ban on Dance Powder to prevent that from happening again.” 

“When all that Dance Powder was brought into the port city, Alabasta was in the middle of a strange weather phenomenon where rain fell nowhere but in the town where the king lived.” Vivi continued, troubled. 

“Hold on, Vivi! That means your dad is the bad guy here!” 

THUMP! 

BAM! 

“You idiot!” 

“He was framed!” Sanji growled, knocking their captain upside the head with his shoe for each syllable. “Vivi-chan’s father would never do any such thing! Never-Never-” 

“Of course, my father had nothing to do with it, but at around the same time, a massive amount of Dance Powder was found inside the palace.” 

“They even had people working inside the palace?” Zoro realized, grip tightening on Wado’s hilt, and Vivi nodded as she gestured to the wide depression before them. 

“This was a canal that used to bring water in from the Sandora River. Someone destroyed this canal, too...With its canal gone, the City of Green could no longer secure water. As if praying, the people continued to wait, but rain never came. Ever since the Dance Powder incident, distrust in the king grows daily. And then the fighting finally began. To escape the fighting, the exhausted people abandoned the city and left for other oases in search of water. And then the City of Green withered away.” 

A heavy wind whipped by, an eerie, low noise emanating from it that had Hikari’s hackles rising. 

“Is that someone’s voice?” Nami whimpered, joining Chopper in huddling around Hikari. 

“Is it the rebel army?” 

“Don’t tell me Baroque Works has been following us!” Usopp squeaked out, joining the first two in climbing the pinkette’s back like shaking koala cubs. 

“No, it’s just wind.” Ace assured, amused, but then Hikari shook her head, eyes a reptilian, slit-pupil gold. 

“No, it’s…” 

Every dragon-enhanced sense strained, trying to grasp that elusive  _ something _ -

Sand whipped by, a contained storm, and Hikari swore she saw the figure of a man within before the whirlwind disappeared. 

“Whoa, what was with that wind?” Usopp sputtered, trying to get the grains out of his mouth. 

“Someone’s collapsed!” Nami shouted as she pointed ahead, and Luffy took off. 

“There are still people in this city?” Vivi worried, the crew rushing to catch up-

Hikari stared at the sun-bleached skull, deathly still, as the princess of this desert country kneeled in the rolling sand. 

“What did my father...What did the citizens of this country ever do? These people have worked so hard to live, being natives of a desert land who are forced to fight with nature. Yet he destroyed their lives! What gives him the right to do that?! All the while, as one of the Seven Warlords, he pretends to be a hero of the people! No one realizes he’s deceiving the entire country! I can’t let him get away with this!” 

“And he won’t.” Hikari swore, unable to look away from the remains of what she now saw to be a child. “You don’t...You don’t take advantage of people’s trust like this. You don’t let people  _ die _ for your own greed.” 

Luffy watched her face then, saw the flash of old, badly-scarred pain in those molten eyes, and resolved anew to beat Crocodile’s face into the sand. 

Nami and Usopp clambered down from their perches as Chopper wrapped his little arms around the pinkette’s neck in a hug while Luffy slid in on the other side. 

Sanji wisely said nothing about this, likely sensing that she needed the support, as the group began their trek out of this lost city. 

Hikari eventually settled back into her own skin as the sun rose high overhead, the heat almost a comfort, though no one else seemed to agree. 

Chopper sagged against the key-holder’s shoulders, starting to pant, while Luffy began to drag like a noodle-limbed corpse with Usopp within the first hour, both moaning over how hot it was. 

“You don’t seem to be having a hard time, Vivi-chan.” Sanji noted, slowing down just like most of the crew, and the princess shook off her thoughts with a smile. 

“I was born and raised here, so it doesn’t bother me much.” 

“What  _ should _ bother us are all the natural dangers of this desert.” Hikari warned, scanning the sand again while shifting to keep Chopper in place. 

“Yes. Being careless with food or water can be deadly, but there’s nothing to fear beyond that.” 

It took a few steps for everyone to realize the pinkette had stopped, and turned to see her staring at Vivi with blank, reptilian eyes. 

“Nothing to fear...Is that what you just said?” 

“Um...Yes?” The bluenette answered uncertainly, and Chopper hiccuped, blinking, at the twitch this caused across Hikari’s muscles. 

“Nothing. Nothing at all.  _ Absolutely nothing whatsoever _ .” 

“Ah…” 

“So I must have been reading about  _ another _ Alabasta.” The pinkette stated, far too calm, and Luffy hid behind Zoro. “After all, there’s no way this nice,  _ safe _ desert could have anything dangerous like hallucinogenic cacti, right?” 

Vivi went pale, shuffling her feet. 

“Oh, um…” 

“Or have anything like the  _ highly-poisonous _ Desert Strawberry,  _ right _ ?” 

“Well…” 

“And it must have been my imagination, reading about the Bandit Birds that  _ con idiots out of their supplies so they die of starvation,  ** right ** _ ?” 

The first beads of sweat trickled down Vivi’s neck. 

“I, ah…” 

“And of course the  _ GIANT FUCKING MAN-EATING LIZARDS THAT HUNT IN THE SAND MUST BE INVITING US FOR SOME STAR-FORSAKEN TEA,  ** RIGHT ** _ ?!” 

The sand exploded at her back, and Chopper squeaked in fright at the sight of said monstrous purple-skinned monster, which was easily quadruple the size of the Going Merry, as it bared razor-sharp fangs down at them in a roar. 

Hikari turned, eyes blazing gold, and  _ snarled _ . 

“ **_ NOT _ ** - **_ NOW _ ** .” 

Apparently, the Sandora Lizard agreed, burrowing back into the sand and practically swimming towards the horizon faster than a blink, leaving the group in silence. 

Ace nodded, patting his brother on the back. 

“You’re a lucky man.” 

Luffy just blinked up at him, as if he had no idea what the other meant, but Zoro smirked. 

“Damn right.” 

“I...may have forgotten some things.” Vivi conceded, hoping to soothe Hikari’s raised hackles, and earned blank looks from everyone else. 

“You think?” 

Hikari dropped her face into a palm, releasing an explosive sigh. 

“You people are going to be the death of me…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Temperatures dropped with the sun, and suddenly everyone had the problem of trying to stay warm instead of cool as their camp was set up in a rocky outcropping. 

Zoro wasted no time in effectively cocooning Hikari in his lap, her draconic biology creating plenty of extra heat, and Chopper cuddled into the pinkette’s chest, gazing up at the clear sky in wonder. 

“Look at all those stars!” 

“Didn’t you see stars on your winter island?” Usopp chattered, huddled close on Zoro’s left to leech off their warmth. 

“Winter island skies are always covered with thick snow clouds, so I’ve never seen so many stars before.” 

“They’re pretty, right?” Hikari agreed, carding a hand through his thick fur. “See that cluster right there? That’s Sagittarius, and that one over there? That’s Aquarius.” 

“Really?” 

“All the Celestial Spirits have constellations to represent them.” She explained, giggling when Luffy wiggled in like a weed to join them. “It’s like a window into their world. The obvious ones are the twelve Zodiacs. Like there, that’s Leo, and the bright star near the bottom there is Regulus. It’s where his power comes from.” 

“That’s so cool!” Luffy, Usopp and Chopper chorused, eyes shimmering. 

“Oh, what’s that one?” Usopp wondered, pointing. 

“That’s Ursa Minor, the Little Bear. That bright star right there is Polaris, the North Star. If you’re ever lost at night and there aren’t any clouds, you can figure out where you need to head using that star.” 

“Is there a key for that one, too?” Luffy asked, imagining a giant black-furred bear with laser eyes that could gobble up people whole. 

“Yeah, the Bear Cub, Polaris. He’s bigger than he sounds, about six stories tall, with metal armor plating.” 

“He’s a cyborg?” Chopper realized, starry-eyed as Luffy and Usopp. 

“That’s so cool!” 

“When are you getting that one?” 

“I don’t exactly plan when I get keys, you know.” 

Zoro only grumbled a bit as their chatter disturbed his nap, but there was no denying the soft edges of his mouth as Luffy started pointing at different clusters of stars and Hikari explained which constellation they were. 

Sitting back, Ace watched the crew gather around to stargaze over their dinner, unable to help a smile at how wide Luffy was grinning while stuffing his face and listening to the story of how Virgo learned to shapeshift in order to follow her fishman key-holder into the sea. 

And if they all fell asleep in a big cuddle-pile, well, big brothers were supposed to help getting the kids to bed.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Whoa! I found a shrimp!” 

“He’s about to find my boot up his ass in a second…” Hikari groused, shifting a shoulder to nudge Zoro awake before rolling over the still-warm spot of their bedding and onto her feet. 

Straightening out her hooded shirt with a yawn, she bit back a smile at the swordsman’s grumbling while stepping out- 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!” 

Usopp and Chopper yelped when a fist suddenly slammed into Luffy’s face, his find hurled back into the desert just before Hikari grabbed him in a strangling hold. 

“THAT WAS A FUCKING  _ SCORPION _ , YOU MORON!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW VENOMOUS THOSE THINGS ARE!?!  _ DO YOU NOT LISTEN WHEN I TELL YOU THIS SHIT _ !?!” 

Ace would have intervened, truly, but he not only agreed with Hikari’s position, the colors Luffy was turning were admittedly hilarious. 

Then she paused, head cocking just so, as Chopper’s ears twitched. 

“Something’s coming.” 

“Oh?” Ace voiced as a yawning Zoro stepped out. “Is the wind picking up?” 

Hikari stared at the horizon as it seemed to shift, rising, and her heart dropped along with a startled Luffy. 

“Fuck.” 

Sanji almost fell on his face when he exited his tent to the pinkette pulling a gold key from her breasts, staining the sand red. 

“Open, Gate of the Ram! ARIES!” 

“Wool Wall!” 

Pink wool filled the opening between the rocks, rising almost to the top before the sandstorm struck. 

The entire construct bent inward from the sheer force of that wind and hundreds of thousands of pounds of sand, and Aries fired off Wool Bombs to further secure her barrier. 

“Hold on!” Hikari warned, scooping Chopper up when a gust twisted past and nearly knocked him over. 

“I forgot to mention it, but sandstorms are one of the desert’s many dangers.” Vivi admitted, and Usopp almost cried, clinging to Hikari for stability as Luffy latched onto Zoro for an anchor. 

“MENTION THESE THINGS SOONER!” 

“ _ This _ is why I read the traveler’s guide.” The pinkette grumbled, steadying Nami when the navigator grabbed her arm and listening as the sandstorm finally swept past. 

“Sumimasen…” Aries apologized immediately, hiding in her fluffy ruff. “Are you okay, hime?” 

“We’re all fine, thanks to you.” Hikari assured, holding out a leg so Sanji tripped back onto his face before the cook could drown the skittish Spirit in romantic praises. “Thanks for the save, Aries.” 

Teary-eyed, Aries bowed deeply while fading back through her Gate. 

“Thank you, sumimasen…” 

The group turned to a sheepish Vivi, thoroughly unimpressed. 

“Anything  _ else _ you’d like to tell us?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So hot…” Luffy whined for the thousandth time that morning alone, dragging every step and panting like poor Chopper was in a futile attempt to cool down. 

When the sun was suddenly blocked from his cherished straw hat, the rubber boy blinked and peered up to find a draconic wing spread overhead, glittering like precious stones. 

“Happy now?” Hikari snarked, folding her other wing loosely to shield Chopper on the opposite shoulder. 

“Oh, that’s so nice…” Usopp sighed as he bumped into Luffy so soak up the comparatively-cool shade. 

“Hey, what about me?” Nami complained, crowding in and nearly elbowing Hikari in her haste. 

“Oi, quit it! Don’t make me turn us around back to the Merry!” 

Rolling his eyes, Zoro reached over their heads to pick up a startled pinkette by the hips, wings flaring as she settled onto his back. 

“Zoro’s a genius!” Luffy declared, immediately leaping into the wider expanse of shadow and stretching up to pop a kiss to the swordsman’s cheek. 

“I feel like a glorified umbrella…” Hikari muttered as Nami and Usopp rushed to find relief, chin dropping onto Zoro’s covered head as she wrapped both legs securely around his waist. “Next person who complains gets to carry all our stuff until the next break.” 

No one was surprised when Luffy ended up dragging a sled of their supplies across the sand not even ten minutes later, moaning like a dying man about lunch. 

"Rocks spotted a small ways ahead!" Usopp shouted some time later, adjusting the goggles on his head. 

"For real?" Luffy cheered, already disappearing in a cloud of dust. "Break time! Food!" 

"Some days, I really just want to kill him." Hikari muttered, ignoring Ace's snickering as she pushed off Zoro's shoulders to glide after their wayward captain. 

Even with her new, still rather untried wings, she landed by the rocky structure a minute or so behind Luffy, who took off back past her at top speed not even a moment later. 

"Kari, they need a doctor! CHOPPER!" 

Watching him go for a moment, Hikari stepped into the tunneled rock formation to find an 'unconscious' flock of long-limbed, white-feathered birds scattered suspiciously close to the sled of supplies Luffy had abandoned in his haste. 

"Hello there." She greeted, sugary sweet and far too calm, and there were some muffled squeaks as her knuckles cracked ominously. "We need to have a chat." 

Stepping into the shade, Zoro quirked a brow as Sanji's wails about their 'stupid captain leaving a delicate rose like Hikari-hime all alone' suddenly cut off, Luffy peeking around to see the rather-battered birds bowing profusely to an unamused Hikari. 

"What happened?" Nami asked, shaking Vivi out of her shock as the pinkette glanced over. 

"We had a nice chat. I think it went pretty well." 

"I like you." Ace decided, unable to help a grin. "I'm starting to see what caught Luffy's attention." 

"Oi." Zoro warned, Sanji turning to glare at the older pirate. 

"They were trying to trick me?!" 

With panicked squawks, the Bandit Birds took flight to escape Luffy's lunge as the rubber boy gave chase into the desert. 

"OI!" 

"Let him go." Ace advised, taking a seat nearby. "He'll come back eventually." 

"We were going to take a break here anyway." Nami agreed, pushing off her hood with a sigh. "Not our fault if Luffy spends it running around." 

"If he doesn't come back soon, I'll go get him." Hikari assured a worried Chopper, sitting with him on her lap and flexing both wings just so to send a gentle breeze over the overheated group. 

"You're an angel sent from heaven, Hikari-hime…" Sanji praised lazily, and Zoro grumbled as he plopped down next to her, very much like a gargoyle as he glared his crewmate down. 

"Need to get used to them " Hikari brushed off, ruffling Chopper's fur so the next push of air reached his skin. 

"You're the best, Kari…" Usopp sighed, sprawling across a rock to better enjoy his rest. 

A sudden plume of sand in the distance had Hikari turning her head, confused, before Chopper sat up in surprise. 

"Oh, for fuck's sake…" 

The crew's jaws dropped when they spotted Luffy, riding a rather frantic camel, racing towards them with a hungry Sandora Lizard in hot pursuit. 

"He really does have a gift for attracting trouble." Ace acknowledged, undeniably amused, as Zoro and Sanji rose to meet the fast-approaching threat. 

"Gum Gum Whip!" 

"Tatsu Maki!" 

"Epaule Shoot!" 

"Careful." Hikari warned dryly, Usopp squealing when the sand at their backs exploded. "Sandora Lizards hunt in pairs." 

A whip of starlight wrapped around the beast's muzzle, yanking him down to the key-holder's level. 

"Who told you that was a good idea?" 

The poor lizard had only a moment to curse his bad luck as Hikari pulled back a fist. 

"Celestial Dragon's Iron Fist!" 

Nami watched numbly as the Sandora Lizard was sent flying into the sky, Usopp crying at her side. 

"Y-You didn't have to go that far…" 

"When they're fighting, you almost pity the monsters…" 

"Well, at least we have plenty of meat now." Vivi pointed out, trying to distract herself. 

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered, bouncing as Zoro and Sanji dragged their haul back. "Let's eat!" 

Once properly butchered, their cook went about using the hot stones to fry up their meal as Zoro jerked a thumb towards their newest addition. 

"So, what's with the camel?" 

"I dunno." Luffy replied around his ill-gotten mouthful. "It was getting eaten by a mystery plant when I was chasing the birds." 

"It doesn't seem to be a wild camel." Nami pointed out as Chopper hopped out of the pinkette's arms, studying the animal. "It even has a saddle." 

"I knew it!" The little Zoan cheered, nodding at the camel's low chuff. "Oh, good for you!" 

"You know each other?" Hikari wondered, folding in her wings neatly. 

"Yeah! He gave me a ride when I escaped from Katorea!" 

Sanji froze as a cold, reptilian gaze turned his way, the sun seeming to dim. 

"Really?" 

"That's great!" Usopp voiced, ignoring the sounds of their cook being twisted into a pretzel with all he had. "We can ride it? That'll make things easier!" 

"Then I'll be the first one!" Luffy decided, leaving a snickering Zoro's side to scramble into the saddle-

THWACK! 

"Ow!" The rubber captain whined, rubbing his abused head. "What was that for?" 

"I am a freedom-loving, hard-boiled, compassionate camel!" Chopper translated with all the drama his source demanded. "Thanks for helping me out of that pinch. I can give you a lift, but no men allowed!" 

Dropping an insensate Sanji, Hikari rolled her eyes as Luffy and Usopp ganged up on the 'manly' camel before Nami intervened. 

"I'm so sorry!" The navigator cooed, already twisting her new beast of burden around her little finger. "My crew-mates are so ill-bred! You're a good boy! What should we call you?" 

"Idiot!" Luffy offered, pouting as he cuddled into an amused Hikari's chest. 

"Moron!" Sanji added, clearly not happy with a camel edging in on his territory. 

"Doofus!" Usopp contributed, annoyed at not getting a free ride. 

"Lashes it is, then!" Nami decided brightly, swinging up onto the saddle to scoop up the reins. 

"That's the weirdest one of all." Zoro pointed out, lifting Hikari and Luffy onto his back with a sigh. 

"You name all of your attacks after food puns." The pinkette drawled, purring when Luffy muttered some unkind things about Lashes into her neck. "You don't have much room to talk."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lashes, at least, _did_ lighten the general load, which made the journey just a bit easier to bear for those not allowed to take a break by riding along on his back. 

Chopper was tucked up under one of Hikari's wings, thoroughly dazed from the unending heat, while Luffy, Usopp and Sanji jockeyed for the best shade provided by her position on Zoro's back, which thoroughly annoyed the key-holder. 

"If you can't keep your elbows to yourself, walk in the sun!" She growled out, kicking both captain and sniper away after the third elbow in her ribs. "And if you get any closer, pervert, I'm feeding you to the next predator we come across!" 

"Hey, there's another rock formation ahead!" Nami called back, Ace chuckling at his brother's whining. "We should take a break for lunch!" 

"WOO!" 

Luffy and Usopp raced ahead, already finding a fairly shaded area amid the tall spires and myriad of boulders by the time their crew caught up. 

Carefully constructing a fire, Sanji whipped up a quick, hearty meal for his desert-weary compatriots, and no one wasted time in devouring every last bite. 

“This is all we get?” Usopp complained once his share was gone, and Luffy raised his dishes in a clatter. 

“Seconds! Seconds!” 

A foot slammed into each of their faces in turn, and Chopper blinked from where he was safely tucked against Hikari’s hip, scraping up the last of his rice. 

“Don’t act wasteful! You’ve had enough calories!” 

“Hey, Luffy!” Zoro barked when a rubbery arm reached into his plate, and the straw-hat boy squeaked when Hikari clamped a hand on his wrist. 

“Don’t be a brat.” 

Ace snorted on a laugh as his brother was tossed over the rocks behind them with a yelp, the swordsman grumbling as he rushed through the last of his meal. 

“Wow! Awesome! This meat can talk!” 

… 

“LUFFY, DON’T YOU DARE!!!” Hikari roared, bursting up from her seat as he ran off over the stones. 

“Oh, the meat! The meat is running away! Wait, meat!” 

“The heat’s melted his brain.” Nami groused, hurrying to gather their supplies with Vivi, Sanji and Chopper while Ace gave chase with Hikari close behind. 

A gunshot echoed off the stone, and the pinkette’s wings beat down hard to propel her like an arrow past Ace where he stood on the edge of a flat stone, finding two shaken young boys cowering in his shadow. 

“Hey, don’t cry.” She immediately soothed, wings folding in tight as she hopped down to their level. “No one’s going to hurt you.” 

The younger, with mussed sun-bleached hair and watery eyes and smudged cheeks, sniffled and latched onto Hikari immediately. 

“Who’re they?” Usopp asked as he scrambled into view, which seemed to snap the older boy into action. 

“I have a favor to ask!” 

Ace quirked a brow at this grubby boy staring him down, certainly intimidated but not silenced. 

“There’s someone I want you to fight and catch! If you catch him, I’ll pay you a million beli!” 

“A million beli?!” Nami blurted, brought up short at the number. 

“I can’t pay right away, but I  _ will _ pay it when I grow up! Please! Find this man!” 

“What man?” Vivi wondered as the others caught up, and the boy tearfully handed over a wrinkled photograph. 

“My brother and I’ve followed him out here from the Badlands.” 

“Who is he?” Hikari wondered, hefting the younger onto her hip as Chopper clambered up her other side to perch on a shoulder. 

“Scorpion, a bounty hunter.” 

“A bounty hunter?!” She repeated, a sternness hardening her expression. “What the stars are you two doing chasing a bounty hunter?!” 

“Well…” 

“I have business with him, too.” Ace voiced, cutting off the key-holder’s tirade. “A man in Yuba defeated Blackbeard, his name was Scorpion. My reason for going to Yuba is to meet him.” 

“He defeated Blackbeard?!” The crew shouted, shocked. 

“I dunno, Ace.” Usopp hedged, frowning at the balding man in the photograph. “Did this Scorpion guy really beat Blackbeard?” 

“I’m not sure. The only way to find out is to meet him.” 

“Ace?” The littlest boy hiccuped, eyes going wide. “You don’t mean the real Fire Fist Ace?” 

Hikari frowned at him a moment before her head cocked, and Ace straightened from his lazy crouch as Chopper’s ears swiveled. 

“Kari?” Zoro prodded, hand dropping to Wado. 

“Someone’s coming.” She warned, pulling both children close and shifting a wing to shield Chopper. 

“Two people…” Ace muttered, frowning. “And a bird?” 

“There you are, Fire Fist Ace!” Scorpion shouted as his ostrich mount stopped on a nearby dune. “I’m Scorpion! The indomitable hero! I’ve come from afar to challenge you! Let’s fight, fair and square!” 

“Heya!” Luffy greeted, popping out from behind him. “Are you all here?” 

“LUFFY!!!” 

“So sorry! Your luck’s run out!” The self-proclaimed bounty hunter continued, a touch shaky. “Your heroic saga that’s told on the sea ends today!” 

“That’s an awful lot of stalling.” Hikari drawled as the older boy jerked forward. 

“Don’t be stupid! He’s the real one!” 

“This is so exciting!” Luffy shouted, bouncing excitedly. “Ace, it’s a serious fight! Don’t pull any punches!” 

“I wasn’t planning to! But there’s something I wanna ask him, too! Move aside, Luffy!” 

“Here I come, Fire Fist Ace!” 

Luffy jumped free as the ostrich charged, and Ace moved to meet him head-on. 

From the onset, Hikari immediately knew Scorpion was a fraud who had never beaten Blackbeard. 

Any pirate that sailed under Whitebeard was not to be trifled with, especially one with the balls to murder a crewmate and run off, and there was no trick the man pulled out that so much as made Ace blink. 

Every new surprise met an easy counter, even his fire extinguisher did nothing to dim the Logia’s flames, and his desperation was almost palpable. 

“He doesn’t stand a chance.” Zoro stated, and no one could argue. 

“I expected as much.” Ace noted, utterly unscathed while his opponent was thoroughly winded. “You lied about beating Blackbeard, didn’t you? You figured using his name would get me to show up. Am I right?” 

“That’s right.” Scorpion gasped out, righting himself jerkily. “Not too shabby of a plan, huh? We’ve fought on even terms this far. Now I’m gonna get serious!” 

“Has he been paying attention this whole time?” Hikari wondered, head whipping around as the boys pulled forward. 

“No more!” 

“That’s enough, dad!” 

“DAD!?!” 

“Dad?!” Scorpion echoed breathlessly, whipping around to see his sons running over with tears in their eyes. 

“Stop this!” 

“Dip! Chip!” 

“Dad, stop!” Dip begged, clinging to his shoulders. 

“You don’t stand a chance against Fire Fist Ace!” 

“What are you two doing here?” The bounty hunter demanded, instinctively embracing both. “When did you leave the Badlands?” 

“The world’s greatest battle is too much for you!” Chip protested, struggling to breathe around his sobs. 

“We came to get you, dad!” 

“Don’t be silly.” He replied weakly, fighting to keep a wobbly smile. “I’m the world’s greatest bounty hunter. I’ve fought epic battles with everyone from Double Barrel Danny to Hellbattler Luther, and they all begged for their lives!” 

“Or so you plan, right?” Chip replied, and his father crumbled in defeat. 

“You found me out, huh? That’s right. I’m a terrible liar and a terrible father.” 

Zoro caught the flinch of Hikari’s shoulders, Chopper glancing over in concern. 

“But there is one thing that’s true! Even the most insignificant person can still challenge the world’s greatest hero if he tries hard enough! That’s what I wanted! I wanted to show you a grand dream!” 

“Idiot!” 

Even Ace blinked in surprise at this outburst, Scorpion looking understandingly alarmed as Hikari stormed over, wings mantling aggressively. 

“You have no idea what a terrible father is!” She bit out, a rawness in her voice that had Luffy going quiet and still. “Do you think they would’ve followed you this far if you were a terrible father?! It’s not fame or fortune that children need from their parents, it’s love! It’s tucking them in at night and giving them hugs when they cry and-And if you do all that, then you’re not insignificant! You’re their  _ father _ !” 

Nami sniffled, and Vivi rubbed discreetly at her eyes, as Usopp, Sanji, Chopper and Scorpion all burst into tears. 

“Your words cut through to the heart of things, Hikari-hime!” Sanji gushed tearfully, producing a handkerchief to offer Nami. 

“I-I’m not crying!” Usopp blubbered, accepting the handkerchief instead to noisily blow his nose. “I-I’ve just got some sand in my eyes!” 

“You’re right!” Scorpion wailed, almost crushing his boys in a back-breaking hug. “How could I be so blind?!” 

All Chopper could so was sob, and Hikari fussed over him, earlier anger evaporating. 

“Hey, hey.” She soothed, cradling the little Zoan in her arms like a babe. “There’s no reason to cry. It’s okay to miss him.” 

With a rubbery SNAP, Luffy landed between her wings, arms and legs wrapping multiple times around her torso while he burrowed into the pinkette’s neck. 

“Kari’s the _best_!” 

Dropping a hand on his covered straw hat, Zoro nodded, and Ace hummed as he meandered down towards them, hands in his pockets. 

_ Maybe he could worry a little less _ .

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you really leaving, Ace?” Chopper asked, less heat-dazed now that the sun was starting to set. 

“Yeah. Seeing as Blackbeard isn’t in Alabasta, I have no reason to be here.” 

“Where will you go next?” Sanji wondered, unlit cigarette hanging from his lips. 

“Scorpion said there’s a man who saw him in the west. Guess I’ll check it out.” Ace explained, pulling a folded slip of paper from his pocket and throwing it to his brother. “Luffy, always hang onto that.” 

“Huh? It’s just a scrap of paper.” 

“That scrap of paper will bring me and you together again sometime.” He assured, seeing the flicker of understanding in Hikari’s eyes. 

“Yeah?” 

“You don’t want it?” 

“No, I’ll keep it!” Luffy immediately backpedaled, holding the paper close. 

“It’s natural for a big brother to worry about his bungling kid brother.” Ace teased, making eye contact with Hikari and Zoro. “He might be a bit much for you to handle, take good care of him.” 

Both nodded without a moment’s hesitation, and the older pirate smiled. 

“Luffy, when we next meet, we’ll both be top pirates.” 

Luffy just grinned, excitement shining in his eyes. 

“Yeah!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Get back here, Crocodile!” 

Hikari stubbornly refused to turn her head as Luffy raced off with an incoherent scream, wings stretching to work out kinks. 

“He ate one of the cacti, didn’t he?” 

“Looks like it.” Zoro grunted, unamused. 

“Can’t he ever not cause trouble?” Nami complained, irritated. “Chopper?” 

“He’s not gonna be much help.” The pinkette pointed out, shifting a wing to reveal a practically-comatose Chopper tucked against her shoulder. 

“Oh, geez...Alright, Zoro, it’s up to you.” 

“Why me?!” 

Rolling her eyes, Hikari carefully deposited Chopper into the swordsman’s arms and pushed off his shoulders into a glide. 

“Stay here.” 

The crew waited quietly until a loud BANG cut off their captain’s hallucinogenic rantings, Usopp wincing in sympathy but glad they could keep moving. 

Luffy woke up an hour or two later, as if he had not been knocked fairly hard upside the head, and Hikari gave him such a glare that the rubber-boy promised not to eat anymore cacti. 

“Oi, hand over your hat and that paper.” 

“Why?” He wondered, though Nami noted he did not hesitate to do so. 

“You don’t want to lose it, right?” Hikari replied, pulling a sewing needle and thread from her pack. “So I’m gonna sew it into the underside of the ribbon.” 

“Oh, great! Sew it good!” 

Zoro steadied his pace as she worked, minimizing every sway and jolt, until the pinkette used a fang to break off the thread. 

“There you go.” 

“Thanks!” Luffy chirped, replacing the straw hat on his head with a grin. “Now I don’t have to worry!” 

“There’s nothing written on it.” The swordsman reminded him, frowning. “What point is there to keeping it?” 

“Ace told me to keep it, so I’m keeping it!” 

“Your confidence isn’t based on anything.” Sanji pointed out, puffing out smoke like a dragon. 

“So what? It’s right a lot!” 

“The infuriating part is that he’s right.” Hikari admitted, head turning with a frown. 

“Everyone, Yuba is just over those big rocks!” Vivi voiced, pointing to a formation ahead that stood on the crest of a dune. “Let’s make one more push to get there!” 

“Okay!” 

Luffy was sing-songing the oasis’ name as he practically skipped, even Usopp picking up his pace at the thought of a cool, soft place to rest. 

“Up ahead! I see a light!” Nami called out as the sun began to truly set, sky darkening into navies and purples overhead with the stars beginning to peek through. 

“Did we make it to Yuba?” Luffy hoped, squinting hard. “I can’t really see with all this sand.” 

“We did.” 

Hikari’s voice was soft and horrified as the entire crew came to a halt. 

“And it’s being buried in a sandstorm.”


	14. Alabasta Arc: Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Sorry this chapter took so long, I've been having a lot of things come up and it really drained all my motivation for a bit there. But I'm back! Hopefully, the last part doesn't take this long!
> 
> Thanks so much for sticking around!
> 
> Sincerely,  
> DragonPrincess18

Yuba was a town being eaten by the desert itself, weather-worn buildings sinking under the sand and not a soul in sight as the Straw Hats arrived behind the storm, Vivi gazing around in horror at the devastation.

“This can’t be…”

“This is bad.” Zoro voiced, jaw clenched. “It’s almost no different from that Erumalu city.”

“Where’s the water?” Luffy demanded, and Sanji bit down on his cigarette.

“Wasn’t this supposed to be an oasis city, Vivi-chan?”

“The sand has raised the ground.” The princess replied numbly. “The oasis has been swallowed up.”

“Just like Crocodile wanted.” Hikari growled, wings ruffling with a sound like windchimes. “Bastard...I knew something was off! He’s called Desert King for a reason.”

“What do you mean?” Nami asked, though there was a dawning horror in her eyes.

“I mean he’s burying these oases in sandstorms on purpose.” The pinkette asserted, Usopp’s jaw dropping. “He’s a Logia that ate the Sand-Sand Fruit, and he’s a smart bastard. It’s the butterfly effect! He sets off a chain reaction wherever he wants, and by the time it reaches his target, there’s a huge sandstorm!”

“Why would he do that?" Usopp asked, starting to flail. "He was already using the Dance Powder to keep the rain away, right?!"

"Because why wait for the oases to dry up when you can make them disappear within weeks?" She noted darkly, and Chopper covered his mouth in shock.

"That's horrible!"

"It makes sense." Sanji mused, blowing out streams of smoke from his nostrils. "Keep applying pressure, and it would only incite the citizens to rebel."

"Are you travelers?"

The crew blinked, turning to see a pit ahead, an old man digging his shovel into the sand.

"You must be exhausted from your trek through the desert…Sorry, this town is a bit dried up, but you're free to rest here if you want. There are plenty of inns here. They are this town's pride, after all."

"We came here because we heard the rebel army was in this city." Vivi voiced, pulling her hood forward to further hide, and the old man whipped around.

"What business do you have with the rebel army?! Curse you! Don't tell me you're hoping to join the rebellion?!"

"No!" Hikari cut in quickly, hoping to keep him from busting a blood vessel. "We just need to meet with them."

"If you're looking for those fools, they left town long ago."

"THEY WHAT!?!"

"A sandstorm hit the town, but it certainly wasn't the first." The old man elaborated, returning to his work. "The sand has dried up from three years of drought, and sandstorms began to frequent this town ever since. Little by little, the oasis of the past was swallowed up, leaving what you see now. With the town's flow of supplies gone, not even the rebel army's protracted struggle would have worked out. So the rebel army moved their base to Katorea."

"Katorea?" Nami repeated, and Hikari rubbed at her temples.

"You mean the Katorea Lashes saved Chopper from? The Katorea _by Nanohana_?"

"Lashes says he was carrying rebel army goods to Katorea!" The Zoan translated, Luffy, Usopp and Sanji whirling around in anger.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO SOONER!?!"

"I'm so sorry, Vivi…"

"Vivi…"

The Straw Hat's froze as the old man stepped out of his pit, dark eyes shining.

"Did you just say Vivi?"

"Wait, old guy!" Luffy blurted, flailing as if the movement would distract him. "Vivi isn't the princess!"

"Don't tell him that, moron!" Zoro bit out, smacking a fist down on his captain's head.

"Vivi-chan?"

The familiar address caught them off-guard as he placed both hands on Vivi's shoulders.

"You're alive! Thank goodness! It's me! Don't you recognize me? I suppose I can't blame you, I did lose some weight…"

"Toto-ojisan?" The bluenette gasped out, horrified at the state of him.

"That's right! Vivi-chan, I have faith in His Majesty! He's not someone who would ever betray the kingdom. Don't you agree? This rebellion is ridiculous! Those fools...So what if it hasn't rained for a mere three years? I have faith in His Majesty. Most of the country still does, in fact. So many times...So many times I tried to stop them, but they won't listen to anything I say. The rebellion won't stop. Their strength is at its limit, too. They intend to settle things once and for all in the next attack. Their backs are to the wall... They're prepared to die. Please, Vivi-chan! Stop those fools!"

Zoro saw the grim resolution fall over Hikari's face then, and knew exactly what she was thinking.

 _Crocodile is going to make his definitive move soon, and it's going to kill a lot of those innocent people_.

"Don't worry, Toto-ojisan." Vivi assured, managing a smile. "We will stop the rebellion."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reclining on the lower mattress of a bunkbed, Hikari stretched out with a low purr and smiled when Chopper clambered up to plop over her chest.

“Excellent work today, my fellows!” Usopp congratulated, knees audibly knocking together. “So let’s hit the hay for now and regain our strength for tomorrow! Nighty-night!”

A pillow smacked into his face, and Zoro scoffed.

“You’ve been sleeping this whole time!”

“Why, you...Don’t compare me with you monsters!” The sharpshooter retorted, throwing his own pillow back.

“Now you’ve done it!”

“Now, now, ladies, you’re both pretty…” Hikari drawled, uninterested in their growing pillow fight-

Usopp went pale as a ghost when his wayward pillow was caught inches from a startled Chopper’s face, squeaking when a molten gold eye cut his way with a glare.

“S-S-Sorry…”

“Sanji-san, that’s my…”

Vivi’s tired protest took the pinkette’s attention off their sniper, and Sanji lifted the sheets of the bed he was laid on invitingly.

“Yes, I thought you might have a hard time sleeping alone tonight-”

And a pillow smacked into his face.

“Get lost, shit cook.”

“Oh, that took some nerve! Spoiling for a fight, shit swordsman?!”

“Do you guys not understand the point of a nap?” Nami lamented as pillows went flying, Chopper joining in gleefully and Hikari sighing as she knocked any incoming projectiles aside.

 _Boys_.

Eventually, their long journey took its toll, and the key-holder rolled over to cuddle a snoring Chopper, purring when Zoro’s heavy frame dropped behind her on the mattress.

“One word out of you, pervert, and you’re sleeping with the camel.”

Snickering at Sanji’s deflated whine, Zoro buried his amusement in her hair as Hikari reached back to slap his hip.

“Play nice.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a round of goodbyes to Toto, the Straw Hats set out into the desert once more, Luffy hugging a flask of Genuine Yuba Water to his chest while walking in the shade of Hikari’s flexed wings.

“I can’t believe we wasted three days when the rebel army was _right there_.” She grumbled, tucking a slightly-dazed Chopper right under a wing-joint. “Maybe I could fly Vivi back-”

Zoro paused at a distinct THUMP, and the whole group turned to find Luffy sitting in the shade of a withered tree, arms crossed stubbornly.

“Luffy, what’re you doing?” Usopp complained as Lashes pulled up short, and Vivi frowned in concern.

“What’s wrong, Luffy-san?”

“I quit.”

…

“You ‘quit’?” Nami repeated, dumbfounded, as the princess shook her head.

“Luffy-san, what do you mean?”

“C’mon, Luffy!” Usopp whined, already sagging in the heat. “We don’t have time to put up with your whims, you know! Get up!”

“Aren’t we going back?” Chopper wondered, perking up over the pinkette’s shoulders.

“Yeah.” Sanji agreed, cigarette crumpling between his grit teeth. “If we don’t get back to Katorea the way we came and stop the revolt, a million citizens here are gonna clash and things’ll get ugly quick. This is for Vivi-chan! Now let’s go!”

Grabbing the cook’s arm, Luffy tossed him aside without batting an eye.

“That’s boring.”

“Say what?!”

“Vivi.” The rubber captain stated seriously, Zoro looking between him and the princess quietly as Hikari shifted. “I wanna kick Crocodile’s ass! If we stop the people rebelling, will that stop Crocodile? Besides, we won’t be able to do anything in Katorea, anyway. We’re pirates, you see. Things are better off without us.”

“I hate when he makes sense…” The pinkette grumbled, wings folding in around Chopper.

“Th-That’s…”

“You want it so nobody dies in this fight.” Luffy interrupted, steady and sure. “None of the citizens, and none of us. Even when we’re up against a Warlord of the Sea and a million people are going wild, you hope everyone will stay safe and sound. Don’t you think that’s too soft-hearted?”

“Hold on, Luffy!” Nami protested, going quiet at a low chuff from Hikari.

“He has a point.”

“And what’s wrong with thinking that?!” Vivi burst, hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. “What’s wrong with not wanting people to die?!”

“People die.”

Zoro clamped a hand on the pinkette’s thigh as a resounding SMACK landed on Luffy’s face.

“Stop talking like that! Say that again and I’ll make you pay!” Vivi shouted, giving into the stress and releasing years’-worth of bottled rage. “That’s exactly what we’re trying to stop here! The rebel army, the Royal Army, and the people of this kingdom haven’t done anything wrong! So why do people have to die when it’s all Crocodile’s fault?!”

“Then why are _you_ putting _your_ life on the line?” Luffy shot back, and the princess tackled him, fists swinging down in wild punches. “Just one look at this kingdom and even _I_ can tell what most needs to be done! As if putting your single life on the line is enough!”

“Then what _should_ I be putting on the line?!” She demanded, tears falling as he caught both wrists. “I don’t have-I don’t have anything else that I _can_ put on the line…”

“At least try putting all of our lives on the line together! Aren’t we friends?!”

Luffy’s voice was gentle now as Vivi collapsed with a sob, holding her up.

“Oh, you _can_ cry those kinds of tears...I know you actually hate this and want to beat him up the most.”

The captain sat up, expression set in stone.

“Now tell me where Crocodile is.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once the princess composed herself, she agreed to change their course to the gambling city of Rainbase, which was only a day’s travel away rather than the three it would take to reach Katorea.

Hikari approved of this new plan, knowing that the rebels were already mobilizing to storm Alubarna and that time was a precious resource, and herded the group north much like a sheepdog must their flock.

“If you have the air to complain, you have the air to walk faster! _Move it_!”

Or maybe a drill sergeant.

“Kari, I can’t go any faster…” Usopp panted, almost crawling on his knees like he was a melting clay doll in a valiant attempt to stay in the shade of her wings.

“We’re almost there.” Vivi promised, patting Lashes' neck as the camel picked up his pace again with clear nerves. "Just a bit longer."

"Oi, relax." Zoro grunted, following in the pinkette's wake as she grabbed an exhausted Usopp by the back of his robe and dragged him along. "We're gonna get there."

"The sooner we get there, the sooner we beat up Crocodile, and the sooner everyone's safe." She bit back, wings rustling like windchimes as the scales ruffled. "We can't waste time. There's too many variables. With Mister Three here, it's likely Baroque Works already knows we're still alive and are on the lookout."

Nami paled at this reminder, turning from her seat behind Vivi as Usopp whimpered, suddenly clinging to Hikari's back and nearly squishing a startled Chopper.

"You think they're expecting us?"

"I think they're expecting us to go to Katorea." The Celestial Dragon replied, offering Usopp her waterskin. "Our best shot is to not waste any time, hit them hard and fast at Rainbase before they can react."

"And beat up Crocodile?" Luffy hoped, perking up, and she snorted on a laugh.

"Yes, and beat up Crocodile. The entire chain of command needs to be taken out."

"Hikari-hime, your beauty is only exceeded by your genius!" Sanji praised, almost floating over the sand until a sheathed Wado smacked onto his head.

“Keep it in your pants, shit cook.”

“Kari’s the smartest!” Luffy declared, grinning rubber-wide. “You’re plans are the best!”

“You say that now…” She drawled as Zoro and Sanji devolved into another squabble. “The only way you’re getting to Crocodile is by keeping a low profile so none of his underlings find us first.”

“Assassination _is_ their specialty…” Nami muttered shakily, and Usopp whined in a pitch only audible to poor Chopper and Lashes.

“So what?” Luffy wondered, yelping when a smack landed on the back of his head.

“None of us came out here to get assassinated before we even get started.” Hikari snapped, head turning as Sanji’s shoe CLACKED against Wado’s sheath.

WHACK!

BAM!

“Does now seem like the time?!”

“Is that it?” Chopper wondered, and Usopp shielded his eyes to peer over the dune they had nearly crested. “Rainbase?”

“Water?”

“Water!” Luffy cheered, already taking off towards the city, and Hikari sighed as Usopp scrambled off her back to follow him.

“Water! Water!”

“Hold him.”

Zoro grunted when Chopper was plopped onto his chest, raising his head with a frown as the pinkette ran after them, her wings disintegrating in a trail of stardust.

Given their head-start, she only caught up once Luffy and Usopp had burst into the nearest bar, already demanding water from the old bartender.

“You two are hopeless.” The key-holder scoffed, handing over some beli to the poor woman in exchange for two barrels of water.

“That’s what I have you for, Kari!” Luffy assured, and her eyes rolled as the rubber captain and their sniper started chugging their newly-acquired drinks with enthusiasm-

And froze on the two marines sitting next to them at the bar, equally startled.

“...Are you _fucking kidding me_?!”

Two sputtered geysers of water, and Hikari grabbed both Luffy and Usopp by the collars as they latched onto two extra barrels each, practically throwing them into a run through the door.

“ _GO_!”

Sand kicked up as they did, and Smoker was already cursing when she whipped out a gold key.

“Open, Gate of the Ram! ARIES!”

“Wool Wall!”

With the stubborn Navy Captain and a good amount of his marines temporarily stuck inside that bar, Hikari ran after her captain again, eyes flashing gold as the ruckus drew unwanted attention back towards their crew.

“Luffy, you moron!” She growled, which only encouraged him to run faster. “Baroque Works has spotted us!”

“Then it’s decided!” The rubber boy voiced, drawing his crew’s attention. “Let’s go to where Crocodile is! Right, Vivi?!”

“Yes!” The princess agreed, pointing ahead. “Do you see that alligator-roof building up ahead? That’s the casino Crocodile runs, Raindinners!”

“It’d be best if we split up!” Sanji advised, glancing back at the pursuing marines, and Hikari nodded.

“Divide and conquer!”

“Alright!” Luffy agreed, leaping up. “See you later! Let’s meet at the alligator house!”

“Yeah!”

Aries faded back through her Gate as the group fractured, Luffy vaulting a building while Zoro went left with Vivi and Sanji went right with Nami and Usopp, Hikari whipping out a second gold key.

“Open, Gate of the Maiden! VIRGO!”

“Spica Hole!”

Leaping into the sudden tunnel, Hikari grinned when her golden eyes allowed her to see clearly in the dark as she ran deeper towards the other end, Virgo smiling while she disappeared at the sound of many pursuing marines scrambling in.

Leaping out the second opening, gold flashed in her hand.

“Open, Gate of the Ram! ARIES!”

“Wool Bomb!”

A startled cry echoed as the men came upon a woolly, immovable obstacle, and she cackled while landing in a run, smile feral.

“Thanks, Aries!”

“Sumimasen…” The Celestial Spirit replied, unable to help a giggle as she faded once more.

“Stop there!”

Hikari’s smile sharpened into a grin at the Billions trying to block her path, all of whom paled as starlight streamed off her skin.

“Celestial Dragon’s Sword Horn!”

The assassins went flying like bowling pins, buried in walls and roofs and stalls, as much effort to toss aside as wisps of clouds.

Leaping off a Billion with his upper body stuck in a wagon, the key-holder pushed off onto a wall, then an awning, to clear the nearby rooftops and reorient-

A sharp flash of light, and a glowing fist knocked aside a thick metal barb, the five-foot length half-burying into stone while she twisted to land on a short wall.

 _Iron_ , she realized after studying the projectile a moment more, pupils slit.

“Celestial Dragon’s Whip!”

A sudden flood of sharp knives was knocked aside as the starlight arced, the end snapping out to catch against her attacker’s torso, and Hikari _pulled_.

What she expected to find was an adult, someone tall and heavy as the iron that must bend to their will, someone like the officers they had already met that had chosen to throw away thousands of lives for greed.

Instead, there was a child.

She startled, releasing her hold, and her opponent expertly rolled to a stop as the streets emptied.

The Iron Dragon was a lanky girl, already taller than Luffy and clearly intending to reach Zoro’s own impressive height, muscles like thin cables under dark skin mottled with old, lighter scars like she had been thrown across scorching sand, hair dark and wild around a sharp face accented with all sorts of flashing metal piercings, from rings all along one eyebrow to snake-bite points to an ear with delicate metal chains connecting studs and bars and hoops of varying sizes that filled almost every centimeter of cartilage.

A long, tattered trench coat covered her from neck to ankles in black, revealing only flashes of worn denim and the buckles of heavy combat boots that tried to obscure the jut of her collarbones and the definition of sharp ribs.

It was her eyes, though, a bloody red with cat-slit pupils, that caught in Hikari’s mind.

Because those were not the eyes of an assassin, but a cornered animal desperate to survive.

A roar, and Hikari rolled sideways to dodge the torrent of sharp metal, tonfa telescoping in her hands to block an iron-scaled fist.

“Celestial Dragon’s Claw!”

Her feet connected with an armored chest, pushing the other back through a storefront, and Hikari quietly apologized for all the damage.

An arm shifted, turning into a pointed lance, and she weaved around the heavy projectiles that followed, closing the distance in two strides with both tonfa swinging forward in powerful arcs.

“Celestial Dragon’s Wing Attack!”

Heavy metal limbs crossed to absorb the blow, the Iron Dragon stumbling back with a hiss of surprise as Hikari pressed in further, tonfa scraping sparks off the sharpened edges that were jabbed at her throat.

Young as she was, the other dragon reacted quick as a viper, ducking the first swing and lunging around the second, only to be met by a knee to the diaphragm.

Locking both legs around the younger’s torso, Hikari landed on one hand and twisted hard, slamming her down and pinning both arms a moment later.

“Stop.” She ordered, a growl rumbling from her chest when the other bucked, fangs bared.

Hikari may have been smaller, but she was stronger, holding firm as the young dragon thrashed and snarled like a wild beast caught in the jaws of a bear-trap.

Any semblance of strategy was gone, leaving only frantic instinct, and the dragon in Hikari’s chest reacted.

The Iron Dragon froze as powerful jaws closed over her throat, sharp fangs pressed against an iron-scaled pulse, and a low growl rumbled through at an unexpected obstruction.

Metal, smooth in comparison to the pebbled texture of scales, prongs catching against her lips, and the Iron Dragon whined softly at the sudden stillness as a sharp, coppery taste jolted over her tongue.

A _shock collar_.

Crocodile had put a _shock collar_ on a _child_ , _tortured_ her, broken her down until all that was left was a terrified beast-

A sudden twist, a shearing SNAP, and the young dragon could only blink when Hikari pulled back, tossing aside the mangled remains of her collar with a snarl.

“I’m not going to let him hurt you anymore.” The pinkette swore, blazing gold eyes locked on bloody red as the dragon in her chest rumbled.

The sound was not one of dominance or aggression, but a promise of safety, Hikari’s dragon murmuring to hers “ _It’s alright, I’m here, no one will ever hurt you again_ -”

The Iron Dragon went utterly boneless in her grip, a low whine scratching out of heaving lungs as the scales melted back into dark, scarred skin.

“My crew should already be at Raindinners.” Hikari knew, squeezing gently on wiry shoulders. “I’m going there. Stay hidden.”

She nodded after a moment, a bit dazed as if the sudden loss of tension was dizzying, and the key-holder leaned forward on instinct, bumping foreheads with a churr.

“Stay safe.”

Rising, Hikari pulled out a silver key.

“Open, Gate of the Fox! KURAMA!”

Fur flashing like fire in the sunlight, the kitsune glanced between them, ears twitching and tails lashing as he saw the mangled hunk of metal abandoned on the sand.

There was no need to explain.

“This way.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Only Luffy’s well-known inability to do anything with what might be considered ‘subtly’ kept Hikari from simply flying to the damn casino and busting through the nearest wall in search of Crocodile.

Chances were, Luffy had already done most of that.

For once, the thought of her boys causing unnecessary property damage was immensely satisfying, and helped the key-holder maintain some semblance of patience as Kurama led her around the patrolling Baroque Works minions and into a mostly-hidden rear entrance.

Taking apart the alarm system alone had taken more time than her temper currently would have allowed, if not for the vivid imaginings of Luffy tearing through some poker tables and demolishing a few walls with the Warlord’s _face_.

For a secret organization, their security was surprisingly lax, and Hikari pulled up short at an open set of ornate doors, sensitive ears catching on familiar and unfamiliar voices as Kurama bristled.

“The operation you once participated in has now blossomed. If you listen closely, you could probably hear the howls of Alabasta.”

 _Crocodile_ , Hikari nearly growled, peering carefully around the doorframe.

The room was vast, at least ten stories tall and half as much across, with a grand staircase leading down to a single long table, laden with food, and a sturdy cage of dark stone sitting off to one side that she realized was Sea Prism Stone when it became clear Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp and _Smoker_ were caught inside.

Vivi was in a chair, back to the stairs and straining to break her bonds, as Crocodile stood nonchalantly across from her, Miss All Sunday watching the proceedings with an enigmatic smile.

“And they all think the same thing.” Crocodile continued around the cigar in his mouth, pleased. “Protect Alabasta.”

“Stop it!” Vivi screamed, the situation pressing down on her. “How can you be so cruel?!”

“Isn’t it just heartrending?” The Warlord mocked. “Love for the kingdom will be what destroys the kingdom.”

Luffy _roared_ , slamming against the bars as if to break between them, and Hikari had to dig her claws into the floor to keep from moving.

“Crocodile! I _will_ kick your ass!”

“So many moves I’ve made to make it this far…” Crocodile brushed off dismissively, focusing on Vivi. “The sabotage to instigate the citizens. Directing the royal army’s misconduct. Have you any idea why I’d go to such lengths to attain this country?”

“As if I’d understand anything inside your rotten head!” The princess spat, pushing her chair over with a twist to get free. “I’m going to stop you! There’s still time! If I can just get to Alubarna east of here...If I can get there before the rebel army, I may be able to stop them! I absolutely refuse to let you have your way!”

“What a coincidence.” Crocodile mused, watching her struggle across the floor. “We’re just about to head to Alubarna, too. If you’d like to come with us, then do so. Or...would you rather save these people?”

A bronze key was revealed in his ring-encased fingers, a pale mockery of the intricate gold Zodiac keys, and Hikari’s heart dropped when he released it into a hidden panel of the flooring to a secret room below.

“Bananagators.” Kurama hissed, soft enough that only her sensitive ears picked up the sound, as one of the massive beasts prowled up to swallow the key whole.

“It won’t be too long before their fight to the death begins.” The Warlord noted. “Even if you hurried to Alubarna from here, who knows if you’d make it in time? To stop the rebellion, you’d need to leave at once, Miss Wednesday. Or will you save these people instead?”

Vivi stared down at the ferocious beasts, frozen with indecision-

A whip of light darted past her, wrapping around the guilty bananagator’s neck, and Crocodile’s cigar nearly tumbled free as all five tons of predator was yanked up and slammed hard into the stairs.

“KARI-CHAN!!!” Nami and Usopp wailed in relief when they spotted the key-holder on the steps, eyes molten gold with rage.

The bananagator snarled, baring a mouth of swords-

Miss All Sunday quirked a brow, impressed, as a fist slammed down on the beast’s snout and cracked the staircase clean in half.

“Sorry, but we’ll be taking a third option.”

“So _you’re_ the key-holder.” Crocodile realized, tapping ash off his cigar. “Do you really think you can free them?”

A slow, fanged smile unfurled over Hikari’s face as she stepped over the downed bananagator.

“Do you really think you can stop me?”

There were stars in Luffy’s eyes as Usopp collapsed against a slack-jawed Nami, and Vivi turned to stare, awed and wishing she had the strength to back up even a fraction of that confidence right now, as the cigar crumpled audibly.

A golden hook flew out on a snake of sand, glinting razor-sharp in the defused aquarium lights as it aimed right for her throat, and Zoro lurched out of his slump, one hand falling to Wado’s hilt-

Starlight streamed off her fist as Hikari swung, and Smoker’s eyes widened in recognition.

“Celestial Dragon’s Whip!”

Miss All Sunday’s eyes went wide, jerking back as sand sprayed and her partner cried out in startled pain, the light arcing to nearly take off the woman’s head.

“A dragon?!”

“Who cares?!” Luffy burst, rattling the bars weakly. “Come on, Kari, let us out!”

“Give me a minute.” She growled back, leaping over the hook as it snapped back around. “Celestial Dragon’s Claw!”

Tiles shattered under her heels, Vivi’s eyes widening as Miss All Sunday crossed her arms.

“Seis Fleur!”

Nami cried out when arms sprouted from the pinkette’s shoulders, hips, thighs-

Light burned from her skin, like a newborn sun, and the woman retracted her limbs with a wince as Crocodile retrieved his hook, assessing.

“A key-holder and a dragon...You’re the World Government’s worst nightmare.”

“I consider that a plus.” She rumbled, knuckles cracking while claws sharpened her fingers. “It makes for a wonderful distraction.”

CLICK.

Nami and Usopp’s jaws dropped as their prison’s door creaked open, Kurama snickering as he faded away into stardust.

“Fucking _finally_.” Zoro bit out as Luffy slingshot himself through the sudden opening and straight at a somewhat dumbfounded Crocodile.

“Gum Gum Pistol!”

His fist burst through a cloud of sand, harmless, but then Smoker charged out moments later, already half-smoke.

“White Blow!”

Sand swirled up to counter the Navy Captain’s assault, easily overwhelming him, Nami and Usopp peeking out in fright as Zoro placed Wado between his teeth.

“Oni Giri!”

“Celestial Dragon’s Iron Fist!”

The Warlord was forced to release his prey, blades passing harmlessly through where his arm had been while he dodged a furious Hikari’s fists.

"Gum Gum Gatling!"

The rubber captain's assault did nothing but disperse Crocodile's form as Zoro spun Yubashiri in his hand, forcibly removing Miss All Sunday's arms from his left side at the shoulder and elbow before either could grab the hilt and Hikari whipped around, forcing the woman to duck under the starlight snapping off her arcing foot.

"Zoro, take Vivi and the others and go!" The pinkette ordered, jolting Nami and Usopp into motion. "We'll be right behind you!"

"Dragneel-san-" Said princess protested as she was grabbed under both arms and yanked towards the stairs at top speed while Smoker's White Spark collided with a storm of sand.

"Gum Gum Stamp!"

Luffy's sandal went through what was once Crocodile's face as the Navy Captain was sent flying across the room, Zoro cursing as he hesitated to break away from the battle.

"GO!" Hikari snarled out, forcing Miss All Sunday back with a whip-crack, skin glowing to prevent an unexpected grab.

"GOING!" Their navigator and sniper yelped, practically flying over the downed bananagator with a cursing Zoro in hot pursuit, when a wall of sand rose to block the exit.

"Where do you think _you're_ going?" Crocodile noted with amusement, unbothered by Luffy's barrage of punches, and the key-holder whipped around with a snarl.

"BACK OFF! CELESTIAL DRAGON'S ROAR!"

All four hit the deck, almost blinded by the streak of light that blazed past overhead, Nami and Usopp clinging to Vivi like barnacles as the swordsman grabbed them and leaped through the opening before it could close on them again.

Luffy laughed at the clear annoyance on his opponent’s face, which only worsened when Smoker got back into the fray with a White Vine-

With a curse, Hikari twisted and fell hard on one shoulder, glaring down briefly to find a hand sprouting from her ankle-

Luffy’s head snapped around at a muffled curse, eyes going wide as sand pinned the struggling dragon down, covering her nose and mouth and she _couldn’t breathe_ -

“KARI!”

“Ocho Fleur!”

Both pirate and marine cried out as arms sprouted from the backs of their thighs and their shoulders to twist both out of their lunge, and the straw hat captain _roared_ when Hikari fell limp in the Warlord’s grainy grasp, dark eyes trying to focus on his face.

 _Luffy_...

“ _KARI_!!!”


	15. Alabasta Arc: Part 4

Consciousness returned gradually, like floating to the surface of the ocean after falling from a great height.

First was the ache, arms spread forcibly wide and lungs struggling with a residual burn from being denied air, and then the feel of a solid chair holding her body upright, metal encircling both hands in a tight embrace and ankles pinned.

Blinking slowly, Hikari frowned at the dimmed light, eyes swimming gold to pierce the gloom and take in the small, rock-walled room and dirt floor.

A glance up revealed the metal apparatus holding her in place, almost an arch of metal with her ball-encased hands held at opposite points connected to what looked like two giant batteries on either end.

 _An electric chair_.

A door creaked open at her back, and the pinkette took in a deep breath to swallow a growl as Crocodile stepped into her peripheral, smug as ever.

“Ah, so you’re finally awake.”

“Is this supposed to be intimidating?” Hikari drawled, expression thoroughly unimpressed. “Because I have to tell you, it mostly feels like you’re trying too hard.”

The cigar in his mouth twitched sharply, but he continued to light the tip one-handed after a pause, all nonchalance.

“You know the situation you’re in, and you still want to mouth off?”

“I know the situation _you’re_ in.” She replied, molten eyes reading him closely with a predatory tilt of the head. “Alabasta is one of the founding nations, the Nefertari family might as well be World Nobles...You know as well as I do that the World Government won’t just let you take over. They’ll drop an Admiral on your head, or if you’re _really_ unlucky, Fleet Admiral Sengoku will come personally to make a point. So why go to all this effort to die?”

The Warlord chuckled, smoke curling ominously past his face.

“Do you know why I chose this country?”

Hikari considered him carefully, thumbs flexing to tap against their prisons.

“The deserts, you would have a natural advantage here and be better able to defend against outside assaults.”

“While useful, that is not my primary goal.” He replied, starting to circle like a vulture. “Do you know what Pluton is?”

The pinkette went still, breath stuttering in her chest, and Crocodile smirked.

“I hear that one shot from Pluton will completely destroy an island...The world’s most disastrous weapon from ancient times, also called a god. More frightening even than the Navy’s Buster Call. It should be sleeping somewhere in this country. That’s been my goal from the start. With it, I’ll be able to build the best military state right here. Once I become the king of this country, it’s easy to bring pirates in this area under my umbrella. My influence will increase, and I will eventually gain more power than even the World Government.”

The curve of his hook tapped at her chin, tipping Hikari’s face towards him, and metal rattled sharply at the instinctive flex of shoulders this caused.

“And once I’ve broken you in, the World Government will have to accept my claim. The only two dragons on the Grand Line, in one place…”

Her eyes flashed to a reptilian gold as a familiar keyring was held up in ringed fingers, the many keys clattering with worry.

“And a key-holder with four Zodiac keys? One of them Aquarius? Like I said, you’re the World Government’s worst nightmare.”

“I’m not a child that you can scare into compliance.” Hikari ground out, skin beginning to pebble with scales. “Luffy’s going to bring all of this crashing down.”

“Huh, you mean Straw Hat? That puny rookie?” Crocodile chuckled, placing the keys on a small table. “He’s dead.”

The pinkette went very still at that, slit pupils locked on his face, as the Warlord tapped ash leisurely off his cigar.

“Straw Hat is buried in the sands of Rainbase. If only he hadn’t gotten involved, he could’ve lived a long-”

A snicker brought him up short, almost startled as Hikari dissolved into helpless laughter, sagging against her restraints and rattling the short chains holding her hands in place.

“Oh stars…” She gasped out, unable to help a few more giggles. “You really think he’s dead…”

Crocodile frowned, a tick visible in his jaw, as the point of his hook tangled in the chain by her right hand and forced the key-holder up straighter.

“What makes you think Straw Hat is alive?”

And Hikari smiled, so sure of herself that it actually made him doubt.

“Because he hasn’t kicked your ass yet.”

Cigar bending with an audible SNAP, Crocodile freed his hook and shoved a nearby switch, electricity crackling as every muscle in the dragon’s body went involuntarily taut, metal threatening to bend under the sudden force.

Breathing through the pain for one moment, two, three-

After four horribly-long moments, the switch was flipped back, and Hikari went boneless in her bonds, chest heaving.

“You’re going to learn how useless that faith is.” Crocodile intoned darkly, the pinkette releasing a slow exhale before looking him in the eye, smile all fangs.

“I’m going to enjoy watching him punch that cigar down your throat.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blinking sluggishly, Hikari breathed slowly, every muscle aching from being forced to spasm into tension over and over again.

 _Hopefully I bought them enough time_...

Crocodile had left not long ago, obviously frustrated after nearly fifteen bouts of electricity, and was likely already well on his way to Alubarna as a sand-tornado.

Flexing carefully, she hissed at the tenderness around both wrists, head dropping onto one shoulder to focus on her keys.

“ _I wouldn’t expect Leo to come help you._ ” The Warlord had taunted about three or four switch-flips in. “ _He already tried that, and won’t be going anywhere for quite a while._ ”

Dragon stirring sharply, the pinkette lifted her head and blinked as a section of wall began to crack.

With a solid SNAP, the rock gave way neatly, and the Iron Dragon stepped through in a crouch, glancing around furtively before straightening to her full height.

“What are you doing here?” Hikari coughed out, lungs greatly upset with being asked to do extra work after all their abuse. “I told you to stay hidden.”

The younger quirked a pierced brow at her, pointedly taking in the key-holder’s situation as she closed the distance.

“Figured you could use a hand.” She replied, voice smoky and rough and scratchy from disuse, carefully grabbing the sphere around Hikari’s left hand. “You didn’t leave with the others. Figured this was where you were.”

“Well, you weren’t wrong…” The pinkette admitted, sighing, as the other transformed her fingers into lockpicks and easily fit them into an indent by the wrist. “Ah, I never introduced myself, did I?”

The younger shrugged, that first lock opening with a decisive CLICK before she moved to the next.

“I’m Hikari.” She continued anyway, rolling the joints in her arm. “What’s your name?”

Pausing, those dark red eyes flicked to her a moment before refocusing on her work, throat bobbing uncertainly.

“...Gina.”

Another CLICK, and the pinkette could roll her shoulders back down, humming.

"Thanks, Gina."

Within two minutes, Hikari was completely free and forcing herself up to stretch, joints popping in protest as she momentarily stumbled to grab her keys.

“Come on.”

The Iron Dragon paused, crimson eyes wide, and Hikari turned to smile.

“I’m heading to Alubarna to stop the war and bring down Baroque Works. Are you in?”

After a moment, the younger grinned, all fangs and slowly unfurling glee, and rushed to catch up as Hikari headed for the new doorway.

“ _Fuck yeah_.”

The newly-carved tunnel was a good bit taller and wider than the pinkette herself was, dark and winding, going up and down and left and right and even spiraling in some places.

Draconic eyes piercing the gloom, she managed to find an easy enough path for her trembling legs, working through the residual weakness stubbornly.

“Careful.” Gina warned as light began to seep in, following close behind.

The key-holder turned her head, about to ask what the other meant, when she stepped into the tunnel’s mouth and realized it for herself.

More than half of Raindinners had collapsed, parts having exploded outward to clog the moat or having fallen inward, the elaborate gold topper shattered into multiple pieces among the rubble, with a trail of destruction leading east towards the desert.

Buildings had been crushed or blown aside, streets scored with deep trenches, and her pupils slit at the smell of dried blood that came on the next inhale.

Without thought, Hikari took off at a run into the night, heart starting to thunder in her chest.

There was no one to see or stop them, civilians having evacuated this path hours before, and she took a deep breath, starlight dimming for a moment before the pinkette put on a fresh burst of speed.

Within minutes, the buildings and trees fell away to open sand, the landscape still scarred with deep fissures and pits-

“LUFFY!”

The rubber boy whipped around immediately, eyes going wide and radiantly happy in his blood-caked face as she leaped the remaining distance in a hug.

“KARI!”

Curling around the impact, Luffy fell back with an OOMPH, snickering at the purr that thrummed through him as she pressed close, ignoring the tacky-wet blood smearing between them.

“You really overdid it.” She muttered after a few moments, soothed by the familiar scent now filling her nostrils, and Luffy hummed thoughtfully.

“Nope.” He decided, fingers threading through mussed pink curls to tip her head back for a kiss. “I would’ve destroyed all of it if it’d get you back.”

Flushed pink, Hikari pulled back to smack his chest, pausing when he caught her fist with a serious gaze locked on the sensitive, blistered skin of the key-holder’s wrist.

“...I’m going to make Crocodile pay for this.” Luffy swore, fingers gentle on the injured skin. “He made fun of Vivi...and that dried-up old man...and he hurt you...and he’s definitely gonna pay.”

The pinkette breathed, taking in his words, before smiling softly and pressing a kiss to a bloody cheek.

“I never doubted you would.”

Luffy grinned slowly before movement caught his eye, sitting up to blink owlishly at Gina as she paused a few feet away, boots shuffling awkwardly across the sand.

“Who’re you?”

“She’s mine.” Hikari answered immediately, and he saw the way Gina’s eyes went wide and awed before turning away as if to hide it.

“Oh, like Chopper!” The rubber captain noted, smiling wide, and Hikari glanced up at a rush of feathers to see a falcon-man land a few feet in the other direction, a heavy bag held in his taloned hands and a barrel of water under one arm.

“MEAT!”

The poor Zoan almost lost a hand in Luffy’s enthusiasm, and Hikari sighed as a heavy thigh-bone was plopped into her lap before he effectively inhaled the rest.

“Ah, you’re Pell, aren’t you?” She realized, tearing off a hunk of meat with careful claws. “One of the royal guards of Alabasta. What are you doing here?”

“I came to retrieve Vivi-sama, but…”

The man flinched, blood shimmering on his feathers in the moonlight, and Hikari nodded.

“Thanks for helping Luffy anyway.” Hikari replied sincerely, chewing quickly as Luffy came up for breath.

“Actually, it was that Sunday lady who saved me!”

“Miss All Sunday?” The pinkette echoed, intrigued.

“Yeah! She even got my hat out of the sinkhole!”

Humming at this, she tore off the last mouthful of pork and stood with two silver keys in hand, knees no longer quite so shaky.

“Open, Gate of the Tres Felis! HAPPY! PANTHERLILY!”

Happy was already blubbering, but a smack on the shoulder from Pantherlily kept him from outright wailing, which Hikari was thankful for.

“We need to get moving and catch up with Zoro and the others at Alubarna.”

Both nodded, Happy snapping off a teary salute and hopping onto Luffy’s back, white wings sprouting from his own.

“May I?” Pantherlily wondered politely, and Gina glanced towards a calm Hikari before nodding, turning a bit so the cat-Spirit could get a solid grip on the back of her trench coat.

Rolling both shoulders as silver-gold wings pressed out from her back, the key-holder winced at a sharp twinge deep in her chest that warned of a threshold that should not be crossed.

Alabasta was a land of clear skies and abundant light, enough that summoning two silver-key Celestial Spirits was within her capabilities, but that hardly meant that her capabilities were _limitless_.

Especially after hours of being used like a lamp.

Luffy’s gaze turned serious, assessing, and Hikari turned away stubbornly.

“Come on.”

And all four took off into the brightening night towards Alubarna.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luffy was not stupid, no matter what anyone said.

He might not know how to navigate or cook or lie, but he knew his crew.

Hikari was the very first, right before Zoro, and Luffy knew better than everyone but their swordsman how hard their dragon tried to be strong when she was feeling weak.

Hikari _was_ strong, after all, stronger than she seemed to believe, and was worse than either of them about taking care of herself.

Because when it came down to her or the crew, her or _Luffy and Zoro_ , the key-holder always chose them.

Right now, watching the sunlight dim and flare around Hikari’s body, Luffy knew this was one of those times.

Whatever Crocodile had done- _trying to break her, trying and_ failing _, because Hikari would never let him_ -left the pinkette’s body shaky, her wings sometimes faltering on a stroke, but she said nothing about slowing or stopping.

Sometimes, Luffy wondered how someone so smart could be so stupid at the same time.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“H-Hime…”

Turning her head, Hikari cursed as Happy began to fall behind, a glance showing Pantherlily was similarly exhausted but still trying to pace himself.

“Pell?”

At his nod, both slowed to match the cat-Spirit’s beleaguered pace, ready.

“Gate Close!”

With relieved sighs, Happy and Pantherlily faded into a trail of stardust, and Luffy laughed as he landed on their key-holder’s back, Gina biting back a yelp before the falcon-Zoan caught her under the arms.

“You have a plan this time, right?” Hikari pressed, seeing Alubarna become visible in the distance.

“Don’t worry, Kari!” Luffy assured, rubbery legs wrapping around her hips while he motioned Pell closer to grab the water barrel off his feathered back. “I’ll beat Crocodile’s ass this time!”

Grumbling, she nodded as Gina climbed carefully to take the barrel's place, frowning at the capital city that drew rapidly closer.

The battle was clearly already raging, the sand disturbed and still throwing up thick clouds in places, and Hikari could hear the clash of weapons and war cries even from a distance, the rebels meeting the royal army in equal defense of their country.

Now that they had breached the city, the rebels would push on towards the castle, to take down their supposedly-traitor king, and that was exactly where Vivi would go to intercept them.

With a downward thrust, Hikari gained altitude, careful to stay out of range in case any Baroque Works mooks had access to the cannons that must line the defensive walls, and swooped over Alubarna's western gate hidden by the harsh sun.

Pell was wise enough to follow her example without prompting, especially when Gina leaned over his shoulder and pointed out a few suspicious stragglers with a low warning growl.

 _Spies_.

Forcing herself to ignore them, the pinkette inhaled sunshine and put on a fresh burst of speed, slit-pupil gold eyes scanning below for bright blue or green or orange or blonde-

And there was the castle, its courtyard full of swirling sand and warring people, and Crocodile standing in the balcony garden, holding Vivi over the chaos and _dropping her_ -

A roar shattered the air, shook men to the bone with terror, and Crocodile looked skyward in disbelief.

 _It can't be_ -

“CROCODILE!”

Diving past in a flash of silver-gold scales, Hikari’s wings snapped open just above the blinding sand as rubbery arms snapped out to catch Vivi, a powerful downward stroke sending them sweeping back away from the chaos.

“Luffy-san…” The princess forced out on a sob, clinging to him tight as the wind rushed by in their ears. “Hikari-san...There isn’t much time left before the square is blown up...Everyone...is already down...My voice...no longer reaches anyone…At this rate, the country will…”

“Don’t worry.” Luffy replied firmly as the dragon banked, bring them back around the battlefield. “Your voice is heard by us.”

“We’re here with you, remember?” Hikari voiced, glancing over a shoulder with an equally-confident smile. “We won’t let you down, Vivi.” 

Vivi was unable to help a smile at that, tears finally falling as they landed below the castle garden with Pell and Gina.

“Be careful, Luffy-kun.” The falcon-Zoan warned as all three dismounted, said rubber boy spinning his muscles loose as the Guardian of Alabasta took off to help mitigate the fighting.

“I ate lots of meat, so I got tons of blood!” He assured, flashing a frowning Hikari his best grin before glaring up at Crocodile roughly four stories above. “I won’t lose again!”

“Of course not.” She grumbled, shaking out her wings. “You’re too stupid to properly lose.”

“LUFFY’S ALIVE!!!”

Turning sharply, the pinkette could not keep from chirping in delight as a battered Chopper leaped into her arms, practically weeping with joy.

“And Kari! Miss Merry Christmas said-But you’re okay!”

“Of course I’m okay.” Hikari purred, cuddling the little Zoan as Gina watched, curious and watchful.

“What?!” Usopp yelped, stumbling up on heavily-bandaged legs. “Luffy! Kari! Vivi, too!”

The sniper cheered, though he was certainly too battered for much enthusiasm even given his tearful relief.

“See?! See?! I told you! I knew it!”

“Really?”

“I doubt it.” The pinkette deadpanned as Sanji approached, bloodier than before but clearly in better shape than Usopp, with Lashes in tow.

“You don’t look like someone who knew...Ah! What the hell, Vivi-chan?! You’re hurt so bad!”

“USOPP!”

A metal staff came down on said sharpshooter’s head, and Gina bit back a snort as Nami appeared, bloody and bruised and clearly out for blood.

“Who asked you to create a prop for parties?!”

“It...It did have a powerful attack, didn’t it?”

“I’ll deal with you later!”

“Hey, you’re standing!” Zoro bit out in frustration, shirt sliced into bloody ribbons, though he immediately calmed when Hikari rushed over.

“Holy fuck, did you go through a blender?!”

“I’m fine.” He grunted, wincing as a careful hand pressed next to a deep slice, Chopper squeaking before pulling out a plethora of bandages.

“You’re bleeding over everything!”

“I’ll help!”

“I’m fine!”

“So what’s going on?” Nami wondered, ignoring the usual commotion from their stubborn swordsman and equally-stubborn key-holder. “Who’s this?”

Gina shuffled her feet awkwardly when all eyes turned her way, ducking into the high collar of her coat as Usopp squinted.

“Yeah, who _are_ you?”

“She’s mine.”

Nami almost gave herself whiplash at their dragon’s easy answer, and Hikari faced the crew’s surprise with a firm look as Chopper paused in plastering a bandage over Zoro’s shoulder.

“Like me?” The little reindeer realized, smiling. “Hi! It’s nice to meet you!”

Gina blinked at him, like suddenly being faced with a flare, and the tense set of her shoulders eased as she nodded.

“Sorry, guys.” Luffy voiced, bringing everyone up short to focus on him. “I lost against him once...So I won’t lose again! I’ll leave the rest to you!”

“Go already.” Zoro prompted with a smirk, and Usopp nodded tearfully.

“If you can’t win, who can?!”

Luffy nodded, snapping his arms out to grab onto the edge of a window and some molding.

“I’m gonna put an end to all this! YOU BASTARD!”

With a TWANG, he was off, flying right at an unconcerned Crocodile-

Hikari smirked, heart swelling with pride, when their captain’s fist smashed right into the Warlord’s smug mouth.

 _I warned him_.

“Vivi.”

The princess jolted from wiping her eyes, blinking sharply, as Hikari turned to the crew.

“You said something earlier about the square being blown up?”

“What?!” Usopp burst, flailing as much as he could, while Vivi composed herself.

“Yes. Crocodile’s plan to stop this is to fire a cannonball into the square at 4:30! Less than ten minutes from now! Once it’s shot, no one within a five kilometer diameter will survive!”

“Both the royal army and the rebel army will be completely destroyed!” Chopper realized, horrified.

“That damn gator.” Sanji cursed, Usopp wailing.

“What the hell will we do?!”

“Find the cannoneer.” Zoro answered simply, and Hikari nodded, pulling out a silver key.

“And I know just who to do it. Open, Gate of the Tres Felis! CARLA!”

“Things have certainly gotten worse, haven’t they?” The cat-girl noted, ignoring Sanji’s usual noodling. “Aquarius is already upset, you know.”

“Yeah, I kinda suspected…” Hikari muttered before shaking the thought away. “There’s a cannon set to fire in less than ten minutes at this square. Can you figure out where it’s coming from?”

Humming softly, Carla closed her eyes, ears relaxed and tail swaying almost hypnotically…

“There.”

All eyes followed her raised arm, and Vivi gasped to realize it was pointed at the large clocktower that stood sentry over the square, Nami sneering in disgust.

“So that’s the kind of man Crocodile is…”

“He doesn’t care if his own men die?!” Chopper voiced, turning to Hikari-

A glint of metal, and the princess ducked as a sharp-edged flechette flew over her shoulder to impale a man through the eye, his raised machete falling from limp fingers as he fell back, dead.

Wide eyes slowly panned over to a silent Gina as her knuckles cracked, skin having given way to iron scales, and Usopp’s jaw audibly hit the sand.

“Obviously not.” The pinkette drawled, a hint of pride in her voice that had Zoro quirking a brow as the Iron Dragon looked away, cheeks turning pink. “Vivi, you’re with me.”

With a nod, the bluenette quickly climbed onto Hikari’s offered back while Zoro frowned, earning a quick smile before the key-holder pulled him down for a kiss.

“Meet you there.”

Grumbling, he watched as Hikari took off into the grainy air, wings beating once to clear the dust devil before wheeling towards the clock tower.

The clockface swung outward like a door, and the pinkette cursed as she dropped sharply to avoid a pair of bullets, Vivi squeaking in surprise.

“Mister Seven! Miss Father’s Day!”

“Take care of the fuse.” She growled, wings flexing. “I’ll take care of those two.”

With a single plunge of both silver-gold appendages, they shot towards the exposed cannon and its cannoneers, starlight streaming like a comet’s tail behind them.

“Celestial Dragon’s Wing Attack!”

Usopp almost jumped out of his skin when the clocktower above blew out on either side, Nami practically tripping over her own feet in surprise to see a frog-themed woman and a seven-designed man tumble out amid the sudden deluge of bricks.

Peacock Slashers whirling, Vivi leaped to throw them at the lit fuse, stumbling to a breathless halt next to the cannon as the fire sputtered out harmlessly.

“We did it…”

Landing on the lip of the tower’s hidden door, Hikari looked over the massive weapon, eyes drifting to the heavy projectile within...

And froze.

“Not yet.”

That was when Vivi heard the ticking.

“Two minutes.” The pinkette realized, jaw set as she grabbed onto the grooves carved along the sphere’s circumference. “I can get it high enough in two minutes.”

“Hikari-san-!” Vivi protested before a familiar ring of keys was thrown into her chest, eyes going wide.

“Take care of them.”

And with that, Hikari swung her wings in a hard downward stroke, freeing the cannonball into open air.

“What’s going on?” Chopper wondered, ears flicking forward in alarm as he realized what the dragon was struggling to hold aloft.

“Is that the bomb?!” Usopp nearly shrieked, bug-eyed, and Sanji almost dropped his cigarette as the pinkette started to gain altitude.

“What’s Hikari-hime doing?!”

“Is she trying to get rid of it?!” Nami panicked, almost frozen in place at the implications.

“KARI!” Their doctor shouted, which Usopp matched easily.

“KARI, DON’T!”

“KARI-CHAN!”

“HIKARI-HIME, RECONSIDER!”

 _Come on_ , Hikari chanted to herself, wings and arms and everything else burning with exertion as the sparse clouds closed in. _Come on, just a little farther, **just a little**_ -

There was an ominous TICK, and she _heaved_ , spinning head-over-heels towards Alubarna below as her cargo arced up over the clouds, wings curling in-

Zoro’s heart dropped in his chest as the entire sky exploded into fire, blindingly bright and enough to nearly knock him over, ears ringing from the aftershock and eyes burning as he tried to find-

_There!_

The swordsman took off, boots sliding on the sand in smears of drying blood, locked onto the flashing speck of silver-gold tumbling down-

Hikari landed against his chest like a cannonball, and the ground cratered under their fall, Zoro gasping out a curse through the pain.

“Kari!” He forced out when the weight on his chest failed to move, fumbling for a pulse. “Kari, are you-?”

A cough rattled out, almost jolting breath back into her lungs, and dark eyes blinked up at him, a bit hazy and unfocused.

“I wouldn’t recommend doing that…”

“KARI!” Chopper wailed, throwing himself onto the pair as their crew caught up, Usopp and Sanji crying rather dramatically.

“I’m fine…” Hikari muttered, flopping a wing over the inconsolable Zoan as the downed combatants filling the square began to stir. “Don’t wo-”

Zoro blinked when her voice cut off, and Gina’s shoulders slumped in defeat as the soldiers staggered to their feet, weapons still in hand, Nami watching in horror.

“No…”

“Please, stop fighting!” Vivi screamed from the open clocktower, voice drowned out by the fresh ring of metal on metal as the battle began anew. “Please, stop fighting! Please, stop fighting! Please, stop-”

Once her pleas reached Hikari’s ears, registered in her explosion-muffled brain, she almost saw red.

Zoro pulled a startled Chopper back as she rose, scales hardening over bruised, bloodied skin and horns flashing rainbows in the air, before turning to this needless war with a rage that could shake mountains.

Once again, a roar thundered through the melee in a burst of light, and the swordsman felt it in his bones as both sides toppled over like saplings in a storm, crying out at the sheer force of her voice.

Running out of air, the Celestial Dragon heaved for breath as a stillness settled over the square-

Buildings crumpled, ground giving way, and everyone watched as Crocodile flew up from deep below, a bloody mess, to land among the rabble in an unconscious heap.

And the Straw Hats smiled.

“HE WON!!!”

A laugh burst from Hikari’s chest, unrestrained and loud and _relieved_ , the dragon fading away as she fell back into waiting arms, raindrops misting over her face.

“PLEASE DON’T FIGHT ANYMORE!!!”

And finally, Vivi’s voice reached her people.


	16. Alabasta Arc: Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> I know this is a scary time for everyone, given the state of things with the coronavirus. I hope all of you are staying safe inside, washing your hands, using hand sanitizer and gloves, and have all the toilet paper you need.
> 
> At least all this extra free time means I'll be writing a bit more than I have been!
> 
> Don't forget to stop by the TVTropes page (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/TheDragonThatWillPierceTheHeavens) and add anything you think is missing, too.
> 
> Stay healthy!  
> DragonPrincess18

The first thing Hikari registered as her brain slowly rebooted was warmth.

There was a weight draped over her legs, and she squirmed before what must have been an arm came around to palm a hip, the warmth at her back humming softly before the scent of barbecue and beer and sea salt settled into the pinkette with a purr.

"Luffy, she's waking up."

The weight on her legs was suddenly crushing unsuspecting lungs, and Hikari choked, slapping a hand to the offender's face.

"Kari!" Luffy cheered, voice muffled and distorted by her palm. "You slept for _days_! You missed twenty meals!"

"I slept for a week?" The key-holder slurred, blinking sluggishly as a chuckle vibrated through her back.

"You slept for four days." Zoro replied, unable to help the thought of how cute they were, Luffy excited as a puppy while Hikari was sleep-soft and mildly disoriented but leaning into his affection all the same.

“Idiot…” She muttered, accepting a kiss from their grinning captain. “There’s only three meals in a day.”

“But that’s not _enough_!” He whined, flopping bonelessly over them and earning an exhausted laugh.

“Hey, where…?”

A soft chime eased her mind, and Hikari reached out to accept the ring of keys from Zoro’s hand, blinking when he entangled their fingers rather than relinquish his hold.

“Don’t you _ever_ do that again.” The swordsman ordered, her immediate growl smothered when Luffy squeezed firmly, expression serious.

“Kari’s not allowed to die. Captain’s orders.”

Hikari’s gaze flicked between them for a moment, flashes of gold in her eyes, before sagging against Zoro with a sigh.

“You and your crazy orders…”

The rubber boy just grinned, like the sun peeking out from behind thick clouds, and chuckled as Zoro relaxed back against the headboard.

“Oh!” He remembered, leaning back to rummage through both pockets while Hikari quirked a brow. “I found something in that weird tomb place while I was beating up Crocodile!”

Zoro fumbled the glass of water he had been reaching for when Luffy held up a bright gold key, Hikari's eyes going wide.

"Here! Now Kari doesn't have to go looking for it!"

The rubber boy yelped when he was suddenly grabbed by the collar and immediately silenced by a kiss, melting like a warm candle as his arms looped around both the warm bodies beneath him-

"OI!!!"

Separating with a wet POP, the three glanced over to see a horrified, fuming Sanji in the doorway, Nami face-palming behind him.

"QUIT TRYING TO DEFILE HIKARI-HIME WHILE SHE'S INJURED, YOU BASTARDS!!!"

"Does it count when I'm asking for it?" Hikari drawled, and Nami cackled as Sanji wailed, Zoro choked on his own tongue, and Luffy frowned in confusion.

"Hey, hey!" Chopper scolded, trotting around the distraught cook with Gina following a step behind. "Don't upset my patients! They were really badly hurt!"

"Sorry…" The blonde muttered into the floor as Gina bent down to lift Chopper onto the bed, nodding at his happy "Thanks!" as the little Zoan began to check Luffy's bandages.

"You're awake!" Usopp cheered, most of his bandages gone now and with Vivi at his heels.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Hikari-san."

"Takes more than a little explosion to take me out." The pinkette joked, tipping her head up towards Gina with a smile. "Are you doing alright?"

“No complaints.” The Iron Dragon replied with a shrug, head turning at the heavy THUMP of Usopp’s jaw hitting the floor.

“YOU CAN TALK!?!”

“Of course she can.” Chopper replied, flabbergasted. “What made you think she couldn’t?”

“She never said anything before!” The sniper argued, flailing. “Not even her name! She would pop up like a shadow and just watch us! Never made a sound! It’s creepy!”

Gina winced, hiding further in her collar, and Usopp visibly wilted under Hikari’s glare.

“Did you ever try _talking to her_?”

…

“...Uh…”

“Honestly, Usopp.” Nami chided, offering the Iron Dragon a smile. “I’m sorry about him, he’s always overreacting.”

“No, it’s…” Gina grumbled, wary of how pale the sharpshooter got at the sight of her fangs. “Sorry...Don’t mean to scare anybody…”

“Scared?” Usopp stammered, straightening up while his knees knocked. “I’m not scared! I fought Mister Four and Miss Merry Christmas!”

“Hey, I was there, too!” Chopper whined, and Hikari carded a hand through his fur.

“I’m sorry, I suppose it’s my fault that Usopp-san is so nervous.” Vivi apologized, flushing red. “I’d heard about the Iron Dragon in Baroque Works, but I didn’t expect…”

“It’s fine…” The younger dragon brushed off gruffly, shuffling her feet, and Luffy looped a rubbery arm around her shoulders with a grin.

“It doesn’t matter, anyway! You’re part of the crew now!”

“Of course.” Zoro agreed, a smirk tipping his mouth at Gina’s disbelieving grunt.

"You should get dressed, we'll hold another feast now that you're awake." Vivi advised, opening a nearby dresser and pulling out a loose off-shoulder top and a wrap skirt. "Is this alright?"

"It'll work." Hikari assured, sitting up with a stretch and grabbing the hem of her current sleepwear-

"O-OI!" Zoro sputtered, clapping both hands over the key-holder's chest before more than the bottom of her bra was visible. "This isn't a strip show!"

"How dare you try to hide Hikari-hime's beauty?!" Sanji seethed, Gina quirking a brow at the quick aggression between the men.

"Pervert cook! Her breasts aren't for you to be ogling!"

"Not for free!" Nami agreed, beli in her eyes. "A hundred thousand for the first twenty seconds, three hundred thousand for every ten after that!"

"YOU'RE NOT SELLING KARI'S BOOBS, SEA WITCH!"

"Yeah!” Luffy agreed, looping his arms around the pinkette’s waist and nuzzling between said breasts. “Kari’ll let me see them for free!”

Hikari sighed as their cook had a furious, crying breakdown over the unfairness, patting Luffy’s straw hat.

“You’re all _way_ too invested in my boobs…”

“They’re soft!” The captain argued, voice muffled by her cleavage. “And squishy!”

“Okay, then!” Usopp sputtered, one hand slapped over his eyes as he blindly grabbed Sanji by the shoulder and began dragging him out. “We’ll just let you get dressed, Kari!”

“Don’t push yourself!” Chopper warned as Gina gratefully scooped him up, and Zoro grunted an acknowledgement while Nami giggled and helped yank a protesting Sanji outside with Vivi.

“Have fun!”

Blinking slowly as the door shut, Hikari heaved a deep sigh while Zoro grabbed up the fresh clothes and Luffy nuzzled further between her breasts.

“Why is this my life?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinner, as always, was chaos.

Luffy’s arms were blurs as they snapped out to grab every crumb of food that was left unwatched for even a moment, Zoro was drinking cask after cask of wine while defending his plate with a knife, Chopper was half-collapsed in a food coma from trying to keep pace with his captain, Usopp was devising ever-complicated methods to defend his food from thievery, Sanji was flirting and asking for recipes from the waitstaff-

Chin propped on a palm, Hikari could not help a smile as she watched the crew celebrate, a bubble of pride welling up when Gina reached over to pat Chopper’s head and offer a cup of ginger ale.

Seeing Vivi laugh as she chatted with Nami over the din, she found this was worth all the stress and worry and pain that had filled the last few days of their journey across Alabasta.

Usopp cackled as fire burst from a startled Luffy’s mouth, and the pinkette sighed while holding out a cup of milk for him to swipe.

Well, stress was perfectly normal around these people anyway.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The grand baths of Alubarna’s palace were a sight to behold.

All the walls and floors were a smooth white marble, the tiles seamless and glistening with moisture, with carved benches set around the elaborate, fountain-style, hot spring bath that boasted golden lions and dragons that released steaming water.

A high wall cut through said bath, separating the male and female sides, steam acting as an extra protection against any prying eyes that managed to climb the slick walls to peek over.

The heat was like a balm on Hikari’s skin, and the silk robe she had been offered was shed in moments, aching muscles soothed by the gentle caress of steam and the thought of a long, relaxing soak.

The slope of Gina’s shoulders loosened as she followed, like metal melting in a forge, but she hesitated to disrobe, toes flexing against the dew-slick tiles while Nami and Vivi set aside their own robes to gather up supplies.

Glancing up nervously, the younger dragon huffed out a breath at the pinkette’s sideways look and let the material go, almost glaring as three pairs of eyes tuned her way.

Hikari had seen some scars, suspected there were more, but what she found was heartbreaking.

Lanky as she naturally was, Gina was clearly underweight, cords of muscle and ridges of bone in stark relief under dark skin, and the lighter burns littering her arms and hands were only the beginning.

There were slashes that looked like whip lashes curving over her shoulders, pockmarks over her ribs and belly like large cigar burns, badly-scarred gashes on her thighs like someone had broken the bones and shredded the skin open, there was a clear ring of burn scars around her neck where the collar had once sat...

Nami's eyes went wide, any suspicions or misgivings about the former Iron Dragon of Baroque Works immediately evaporating, and Hikari stepped closer, carefully taking a clenched fist and slowly loosening tense fingers to thread them together.

"Come on, I'll get your back and you can get Nami's."

Gina's hackles slowly lowered when Nami took her other hand to tug them towards a nearby bench, and Vivi joined them with an assortment of shampoos and soaps, everyone sampling the scents for their preference.

The easy chatter settled her, and she chose a soft oakmoss, settling on the bench with a sigh as warm water was carefully poured down her back.

“This is really nice.” Nami noted, soaping Vivi’s shoulders with eucalyptus-scented suds as Gina carefully portioned out a small handful of tangerine shampoo to carefully massage into her damp orange hair. “I wonder if a ship with a bath this big exists.”

“I’m sure it does, since the sea is so vast.” Vivi replied, glancing over a shoulder as Hikari carefully smoothed a cloth down the criss-crossing scars of Gina’s back. “We saw giants, we saw dinosaurs, we also saw cherry blossoms bloom in a winter land...There’s more and more things in the sea that are beyond our imagination.”

There was a wistfulness in her tone that had the pinkette pausing, mouth open to say-

Zoro caught a sudsy Chopper when the poor reindeer nearly jumped out of his hands, Luffy leaning around him curiously as the other men were tossed back into the water by a furious, draconic roar.

“Kari didn’t like that.” The rubber captain noted, scratching idly behind an ear, but Sanji hardly seemed to hear over the sound of blood gushing from his nose.

“When I get my claws in you, I’m gonna turn each and every one of you into a new set of boots _and stitch your writhing souls to the lining_!”

With a shriek, Usopp leaped to hide behind Luffy and Zoro, Chopper giggling at his antics while the swordsman rinsed out his fur.

“WE’RE ALL GONNA _DIE_!!!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Kari…”

Glancing up from finishing the tail-end of her braid, Hikari cooed at a worried Chopper’s face and immediately scooped him up for a cuddle on the bed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well…” The little Zoan began, thinking over his words carefully as Gina stepped out of the walk-in closet, wearing a loose dark grey, long-sleeved top and black pants rather than her dirty, battered clothes from before. “I was thinking...Gina didn’t want to be part of Baroque Works, right? Crocodile made her…”

“Yeah.” She agreed, glancing up at the sudden hitch in said Iron Dragon’s steps before the other continued to a nearby dresser.

“What about it?” Gina wondered gruffly, digging around for socks.

“Mister Four and Miss Merry Christmas had a gun they gave a Devil’s Fruit to become a dog…So he didn’t really want to do bad things either, right?”

“No…” Hikari admitted, subconsciously rocking from side to side in thought. “No, he wouldn’t really know any better, would he?”

“Exactly!” He burst, sitting up to flail indignantly. “It’s not right that he’s gonna be punished for being a good dog!”

“Life ain’t fair.” Gina muttered, closing the drawer with a muted BANG, and Hikari frowned when the Zoan deflated.

“...It’s only unfair if we let it be.” She decided, the pair blinking at her in surprise. “Come on.”

Stars began to shine in Chopper’s eyes as the pinkette stood, and Gina considered her for a moment before nodding, mouth quirking into a smile while she followed them down the hall.

The defeated Baroque Works Agents were being held beneath the palace in what was once a proper dungeon, though most of the cells had been repurposed over time into storage for fragile artifacts and munitions.

Pell and Chaka made sure to find enough sturdy cells and Sea Prism Stone cuffs for all of them, with plenty of guards to keep an eye out for attempted escapes, two of whom saluted when Hikari approached the main entrance with Chopper and Gina on her heels.

“Could you tell us where the dog’s being held?” She wondered after greeting them, and the pair shared a considering glance.

“The dog…”

“He’s got his own cell, right by the entrance here.”

“I’d be careful, Dragneel-san. He’s not in gun-form, but he’s been snarling at anyone who comes by.”

“Thanks, but I think we’ll be fine.” The pinkette assured, leading the way inside without a moment’s hesitation.

The dungeons were dimmer, thick stone walls muting the general hustle and bustle of the busy palace, and Chopper immediately latched onto her leg at the admittedly-creepy atmosphere when a low growl came out of the dark.

“Hey, don’t be like that.” Hikari chided gently, turning left to reveal a solitary cell carved into the bedrock, a large, long, sandy-brown dog glaring balefully at them while pawing at the Sea Prism Stone collar keeping him in his fully canine form. “We’re not here to hurt you.”

Chopper shivered, partially-hidden behind her, and Gina stepped up with a low rumble that had Lassoo quieting, head ducking submissively.

“Go on.” She urged gently, crouching to nudge the Zoan’s back. “He won’t bite.”

Shuffling his hooves, Chopper glanced up to find the key-holder’s reassuring smile and steeled himself, toddling closer to the bars.

“Hi…”

Lassoo eyed the little reindeer, sniffling miserably.

“I know you’re not a bad dog...You really love Mister Four and Miss Merry Christmas, right? So you wanted to make them happy.”

Ears flicking forward, the dog-gun chuffed, and Chopper nodded.

“But you don’t _have_ to make anybody happy like that. If it makes you happy, then people who love you will be happy, too.”

Blinking sharply, Lassoo seemed to roll this thought around in his head, claws flexing against rough stone, before grumbling softly.

“It’s okay to still love them.” Chopper assured, stepping closer. “But...But sometimes you get a family that’s bad for you. They make you feel bad, like you’re a burden, so you try really hard to do what they want, and it’s never enough…”

Gina scowled at the warble in his voice, nails pressing hard into the meat of her palms, and Lassoo whined lowly.

“But you can choose your family, too.” He continued, starting to smile. “My crew, they love me for the things my family pushed me away for! And they’re helping me reach my dream! They’ll love you, too, if you let them!”

Offering a hand, the older Zoan smiled.

“You can come with us and be a pirate! Be whatever you want!”

Lassoo considered him for a few long moments, sniffling absently, and glanced up at the dragons watching over them closely.

Chopper giggled when a wet tongue licked at his hand, ruffling the fur, and the dog-gun growled happily at a good scritch behind the ear.

Sighing at his hopeful look, Hikari turned away to hide her smile.

“Hey! Can I get the keys?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Tonight?” Usopp whined, rubbing the second goose-egg on his head while glaring balefully at an amused Lassoo, Chopper laying across the dog-gun’s back.

“Leaving here?”

“Well, I think it’s appropriate, too.” Zoro agreed, still snickering at a thoroughly-battered Sanji sprawled on one of the beds. “Since we no longer have a reason to stay here.”

“Especially since the Navy is starting to move.” Hikari warned, pacing. “If they find the Going Merry, we’re sunk. Momoo and the Dugongs can only hold them off for so long.”

“Okay!” Luffy decided, sitting up from his sprawl. “We’ll leave after we have some more Alabasta dinner again!”

BAM!

“Your priorities are shit.” The pinkette scolded, Gina turning her head away to swallow a chuckle.

A knock at the door diverted everyone’s attention, and Vivi let in a servant bearing a Transponder Snail on a silver tray.

“I have a call for you.”

“From who?” Nami wondered, brow quirking.

“From someone named Bon-chan.”

“Bon-chan?” Gina echoed, lurching upright to grab the mouthpiece.

“Hi! Hello there!” A very familiar feminine man’s voice greeted, and the Iron Dragon almost cackled as the Straw Hats’ jaws dropped.

“Damn it, Swan-teme! How’d you get a Transponder Snail?”

“Gina-chan!” Bon Clay replied happily, the genuine affection in his tone pulling Hikari’s growl up short. “You’re with them, huh? Have you been sleeping well? Eating all your vegetables?”

“I’m not the one that _literally_ got his ass kicked.” Gina shot back, unable to help a smile. “Should be asking _you_ those questions. What’re you even calling for?”

“I took their ship.”

“ _WHAT_!?!”

“You son of a bitch!” Usopp raged, leaping to his feet. “This isn’t a joking matter! Where’re you now?!”

“On your ship.”

“Let me be _very clear_.” Hikari hissed, the room dimming ominously. “If you’ve laid so much as a _finger_ on my Momoo, _I’ll string you up by your entrails_.”

“No, no! Gee...We’re friends, right? I’ll be waiting for you upstream.”

With a click, the call was disconnected, and Luffy frowned.

“Can we trust him?” Sanji wondered, drawing a cigarette.

“Swan-teme may be weird as all hell, but...he means it when he calls you friend.” Gina admitted, averting her eyes, and the cook nodded as Hikari placed a hand on her shoulder.

“We have no choice but to go.” Their rubber captain voiced, and their key-holder sighed.

“Even if he has bad intentions, he still has our ship, and the Navy’s out looking for it. We’ve got to go.”

“Say, everyone…”

Vivi’s uncertain voice cut through their murmurs, all eyes turning to the subdued princess.

“What...should I do…?”

And it was that exact moment when the crew realized what exactly she would be giving up to come with them.

After two years of hell fighting for her home, she was back and everything was set right again, the people battered but not dead as Crocodile had planned, and now…

“Listen, Vivi.” Nami began, sitting beside her. “We’ll give you twelve hours. Once we take our ship back on the Sandora River, we’ll draw the ship near the eastern harbor just once at exactly noon tomorrow. We probably won’t be able to anchor. If you want to continue traveling with us, that moment is the only chance to come aboard. If that happens, we’ll welcome you...though you’ll become a pirate. Since you’re a princess of a country, this is the best we can do to invite you.”

Hikari’s eyes flicked at that, thumb rubbing over the fairy on her hand, before Luffy popped up with a grin.

“Come, Vivi! Definitely come! Co-”

Zoro’s fist came down on his head before the pinkette could lose her patience, grabbing him by the scruff to drag out the window.

“Hey, wait for us!” Chopper complained, grabbing his bag while Gina helped heft Lassoo over the sill.

“Don’t forget your robes!” Nami chided, grabbing the desert outerwear on her way. “Sanji-kun, do you mind carrying my bag?”

“Anything for Nami-san!”

“O-Oi!”

Vivi looked lost as she watched the crew cart bags of supplies out the window, blinking to focus on Hikari when the key-holder crouched in front of her, solemn.

“Whatever you choose, we won’t regret helping you.” She promised, before her mouth tipped up in a melancholy way that nagged at Vivi’s mind. “Everything’s going to be fine, bluebird.”

That sparked a memory, an image of a bruised face and a forced smile that always failed to lighten the sadness in big dark eyes, as Hikari squeezed her hands and stood, already at the window when Vivi regained her voice.

"Do you regret it?"

Pausing on the frame, the pinkette glanced back with such a warm smile that Vivi could not imagine it ever being on that little girl's face.

"Not for a second."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Damn, they _are_ fast.”

Luffy giggled at the awed note in Gina’s voice as she leaned over him to watch the sand whip by underneath their Supersonic Duck.

In hours, they had covered the same distance that would have taken roughly three days on foot and a day on horse- or camel-back, even weighed down with copious supplies.

“There’s the Going Merry!” Chopper called out, Lassoo howling along as Hikari straightened from where she was riding in front of Zoro.

“MOMOO!”

The sea-cow rose in a flail from the water, already in tears, and Zoro chuckled as she scrambled out of the saddle to hug his huge pink nose with a coo of how brave he had been while the pinkette was gone.

“Wait, what?!”

“What?” Sanji echoed as Bon Clay leaped dramatically onto the railing overhead, seeing the Supersonic Duck Squadron off.

“Don’t ‘what’ me!” The former assassin complained, stomping his foot like a child. “That’s not how you treat your friend, is it?!”

“Is that what you told him?” Hikari accused, petting a suddenly-distraught Momoo as he began to blubber. “Oh, it’s okay, sweetheart. He’s just a big mean liar.”

“What do you mean, ‘friend’?” Luffy shouted back, scowling. “We were enemies. You lied to us!”

“I didn’t lie! I didn’t know it, either!”

“Don’t gotta be so dramatic, Swan-teme.” Gina cut in, swinging over the railing with Chopper and Lassoo draped over her shoulders. “Ain’t like it matters anymore. Baroque Works is gone.”

“You’re right, Gina-chan…” The effeminate ballerina blubbered, latching onto the poor Iron Dragon as he cried waterfalls. “You’re a true friend! I just had to protect their ship when I heard you were with the Straw Hats! They’re taking care of you, aren’t they?”

“Oi, let go!”

BAM!

“Of course we are!” Hikari growled over a downed Bon Clay, Chopper reaching out to poke the poor man’s foot to make sure he was still alive. “Come on, we still have to load all these supplies before dawn.”

“On it!” The Zoan chirped, Gina snickering as he scrambled back up onto her shoulder as she vaulted the railing again.

“And…”

Hikari sighed, glancing towards Bon Clay.

“Thanks, for keeping Momoo and our ship out of the Navy’s hands.”

“What?!” Luffy squeaked, Gum Gum Rocketing up with Usopp. “Then you protected the Going Merry?!”

“Why?!”

“Because we’re friends!”

Tears overflowed the deck, and the key-holder rolled her eyes, helping Nami up as she struggled with a pair of heavy bags.

“Is that the last of it?”

“Yes, Nami-san!”

“Keep an eye out.” The pinkette warned, Zoro quirking a brow as Bon Clay’s ship appeared from behind an outcropping. “This is gonna be a long day…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“ _Knew it_.”

Hikari cursed, a Whip lashing out to knock aside another volley of massive metal harpoons coming in on their starboard side.

“We need to get out of here!”

“We can’t.” Zoro ground out, glaring at each of the eight ships that effectively boxed them in as Momoo roared. “Whether we chase them or run away, they’ll never change this formation.”

“But we can’t keep this up forever!” Chopper, in his Heavy Point, protested as he hefted a gun-form Lassoo onto his shoulder for another shot.

“Wanna stop?” Gina grunted, catching a harpoon before it pierced the mast and snapping it apart with a growl.

“Don’t you dare!” Nami warned, ducking as Sanji kicked a fresh barrage away and Luffy’s Gum Gum Gatling whizzed repeatedly over her head.

“THAT’S IT!” Hikari burst, drawing a gold key as the Going Merry bobbed hazardously in the tumultuous water that sprayed up the sides. “Open, Gate of the Water-Bearer! AQUARIUS!”

The mermaid-Spirit rose from the waves with all the fury of a spewing volcano, and screams of terror were already echoing from the Navy ships.

“WATER PILLAR!”

Both ships to the south rocketed up from a sizeable geyser, dropping men like startled ants, as Aquarius swung her urn.

“TORRENT!”

“Go!” Bon Clay ordered from his own ship as another pair were nearly capsized, Momoo kicking up a massive wave. “We can make a break for it south and get out of here!”

“The Black Cage is here!”

The warning came up from the former assassin’s ship, and Gina cursed.

“That’s the Navy Captain for this jurisdiction. She’s such a pain.”

“We’ll hurry up and fly the coop!” Bon Clay decided, his crew happily complying, but Luffy shook his head no.

“If you wanna go, then go. We can’t.”

“You can’t?! Why?!”

“Noon at the eastern harbor, we have an appointment.” Nami replied firmly as a wall of water rose to block an assault of harpoons. “We don’t have time to go around, so we have to dash through.”

“That’s ludicrous!” Bon Clay sputtered, starting to flail, but Luffy’s smile froze him in place.

“We’re going there to pick up our friend.”

“So it’s for your pal…”

Turning to his crew, the okama struck a firm pose.

“Running now wouldn’t be like Bon Clay. If we abandon pals who would risk their lives to pick up their pal, will we be able to enjoy our food tomorrow?! Listen, guys! Straw Hats, too! Listen to what I have to say carefully!”

Aquarius turned with a frown as the pink monstrosity broke away from the Merry while Momoo dove underwater, firing off a Bubble Shot at the Navy ships that tried to intercept.

“Back off!”

Taking the Spirit’s protectiveness as confirmation, the entire squadron gave chase, already pulling fully away from the Merry-

When Aquarius faded back through her Gate with a smirk.

“Am I the Straw Hat you guys’re looking for?!”

“Bon-chan!” Luffy sniffled as he watched the okama break into combat with the marines as they sailed away, Usopp blubbering and Chopper hugging a howling Lassoo with a wail. “We’ll never forget you!”

“Damn it, Swan-teme…” Gina grumbled, rubbing at her eye, and Zoro ruffled her hair.

“We’re not out of danger yet.” Sanji warned, Nami nearly squawking when more Navy warships appeared on their tail.

“Give us a break!”

“For fuck’s sake.” Hikari complained, drawing a second gold key. “Open, Gate of the Lion! LEO!”

“Have no fear, Hikari-hime.” He assured smoothly, straightening his tie. “Your knight has arrived.”

“We’ve already talked about this.” The key-holder reminded him, unimpressed. “You cried. A lot.”

“I’m the Lancelot to your Guinevere. I’ll fight for your honor, even when another man has claimed your heart.” Leo assured, bowing.

“Guinevere cheated on King Arthur with Lancelot.”

“A man can dream.” He mused, smiling at Zoro’s annoyed glare and Luffy’s suspicious squint.

“Not even in _your_ dreams. So do you mind taking care of those marines?”

“Allow me, hime.”

“Come on!” Nami ordered as the Spirit leaped onto Momoo’s back to approach the enemy. “We need to get to the eastern harbor! It’s nearly noon!”

With the enemy thoroughly distracted, the Straw Hats jumped to their posts, the Going Merry catching a strong breeze as they raced ahead…

“Oi…” Gina voiced as the harbor came into view, grabbing Chopper by the shoulder when he hopped onto the railing. “Is that…?”

“I had a little adventure…”

The crew went quiet, listening as their friend’s voice echoed across all of Alabasta.

“It was a journey to cross the dark sea in search of ‘despair’. After I left the country, I saw such a vast sea, and on that sea, I found unbelievable, thriving islands. Creatures I had never seen before...Sceneries I could barely consider real...At times, the melody of the waves was quiet, swaying gently, as if easing my small worries. Other times, the melody was violent, laughing at me, as if it would tear apart my weak heart...In that dark, dark storm, I encountered a single, small, ship. The ship said to me, while pushing me onwards, ‘Can’t you see that light?’ This wondrous ship, which never lost it’s way even in darkness, danced it’s way across the huge waves. The ship didn’t fight the sea, but it’s stem was pointed straight ahead, even during a headwind. And the ship pointed and said, ‘Look! There’s a light!’ History will soon call this an illusion, but to me, it is the only truth. And…”

Hikari tilted her head back, blinking against a growing heat, as Luffy and Usopp joined Chopper in flopping over the railing with trembling lower lips.

“That’s Vivi’s voice without a doubt.” Zoro stated, Lassoo melting into a whimpering puddle at the dour mood that befell the crew.

“They’re just broadcasting the ceremony being held in Alubarna.” Sanji muttered, lighting his cigarette aggressively. “She’s already decided that she wouldn’t come here.”

“It’s past noon.” Nami agreed, subdued. “We need to go.”

“There’s no way that she didn’t come!” Luffy argued immediately, lurching upright. “Let’s get out and look for her! She’s definitely here!”

“Hey, this is bad!” Usopp yelped, nearly falling overboard if not for Gina grabbing him. “The Navy is after us again!”

“Starboard!” Their navigator warned, five warships coming around the coastline.

“Give up, Luffy.” Sanji advised when the captain stayed put while preparations were made to set sail. “Her case is different from ours.”

“Everyone!”

“There!” Gina called, pointing to a rocky outcropping near the harbor, and Luffy cheered.

“See, she came!”

“VIVI-CHAN!” Sanji sang, noodling towards the aft deck railing.

“Let’s go back!” Usopp yelped, twisting and turning now. “Better hurry!”

“The Navy is right there, too!” Chopper fretted, tugging on Lassoo’s ears as the dog-gun waddled in anxious circles.

“I came to say goodbye!”

And that took the wind right out of their sails.

“I can’t go with you! Thank you so much for everything! I’d like to go on more adventures, but there’s no ignoring that I love this country! So I can’t go! I...I…”

The sound of her tears flooded the feed, and Hikari had to swallow a keen.

“I will remain here...But if we ever meet again someday, will you call me your friend again?!”

“You’ll forever be our-”

Hikari’s palm smacked over Luffy’s loud mouth before he could continue, the sadness in her eyes enough to deflate his immediate annoyance.

“Don’t. If we say she’s connected to us, Vivi will become a criminal. Then she can’t stay.”

After a moment, she smiled.

“So we’ll show her.”

Sleeves were rolled up as the seven crew-mates lined up with their backs to the railing, arms raised to show the symbol of their friendship clear even across the water.

Cannonballs landed around the Going Merry, throwing a spray across the deck, and Luffy laughed as Momoo came up with a squawk.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zoro sighed, petting through Luffy’s ruffled hair as the rubber boy sat in his lap with the biggest sulk he had seen so far.

Ever since dodging the Navy’s grasp, the whole crew had become rather despondent, and their captain was the worst of all.

Dropping next to them, Hikari dropped her head on the swordsman’s shoulder, watching the others mope quietly while her thumb rubbed at the tail of her tattoo.

Lassoo shuffled over, a morose Chopper riding on his long back with matching sniffles, and draped both of them over the pinkette’s lap, rumbling contently when a hand came up to scritch behind an ear before smoothing over the reindeer’s fur.

Stepping around a limp Sanji, eyeing the dark cloud practically raining on his head, Gina plopped down on Zoro’s other side, chewing absently on a hunk of harpoon that had been ‘liberated’ from the failed Navy attack while watching Usopp half-heartedly fiddle with some sort of contraption.

With a huff, Luffy wiggled to wrap his arms and legs tighter around Zoro’s shoulders and waist, and a smile quirked Hikari’s mouth at how he burrowed against the swordsman’s neck, stubbornly holding onto his bad mood.

“Hey.”

The rubber captain grumbled, peeking out warily, and she popped a kiss on his frown.

“Better?”

Perking up, Luffy squirmed for a moment before pouting.

“Maybe one more?”

Zoro released a long-suffering sigh, one hand tugging gently on the younger boy’s hair to tip his head back for a kiss.

“Greedy.”

“I’m a pirate!” Luffy replied with a snicker. “Another?”

Gina quirked a brow at the low whine Sanji released from his slump as Hikari leaned in for a proper kiss.

“Looks like we finally made it off the island. Good job.”

There was a beat of silence, and then Hikari was on her feet, a growl rolling across the deck like thunder as Luffy pulled back an arm and Zoro drew Wado.

“Why are you here?!” Nami yelped, snapping her Clima-Tact into one piece as Usopp grabbed a megaphone.

“ENEMY ATTACK! ENEMY ATTACK!”

“WAIT!”

Gina’s shout brought everyone up short, even the suddenly-breaching Momoo, and she planted herself stubbornly between both sides.

“She’s not here to kill us.”

“Are you sure?” Chopper wondered, a hand on Lassoo’s shoulder as he looked between her and the older woman.

“You trusted me about Swan-teme.”

Red eyes met gold, and Hikari released a slow breath, ignoring Sanji’s beautiful-lady bliss.

“Why are you here?”

“Monkey D. Luffy, you haven’t forgotten what you did to me, have you?”

The key-holder blinked, turning to their confused captain as Momoo cooed curiously.

“Luffy, you can’t invite people into the relationship without all of us agreeing. It’s not polite.”

“O-Oi!” Zoro sputtered while Sanji seemed to lose his mind, Luffy pouting.

“I didn’t! Don’t lie! I didn’t do anything to you!”

“Yes, you did. What you did to me was unbearable.” The woman replied calmly, leaning back in her seat. “Take responsibility.”

Gina sighed as the cook started shouting in fury and the sniper continued blaring warnings, giving her former colleague a flat look.

“Thought _I_ was the kid.”

“You don’t make sense!” Luffy declared, cutting through the chaos. “What do you want me to do?”

“Let me join your crew.”

…

“WHAT!?!”

“You made me live then when I wanted to die.” She explained simply, Hikari’s gaze snapping to her immediately. “That’s your crime. There’s no place for me to go or go back to. So let me stay on this ship.”

“Oh, I see…” He mused, shrugging. “Then I guess we have no choice. Okay!”

“LUFFY!!!”

“Don’t worry, she isn’t a bad person!”

All eyes turned to Hikari, almost pleading for some sanity, and she felt a stress headache coming on as she glanced towards the source.

“I need a fucking drink. You in?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Downing another shot of whiskey, Hikari sighed into the burn, leaning back in her seat to watch Nico Robin sip at the wine Sanji had offered her while amusing Luffy and Chopper with her Devil’s Fruit.

Usopp was crouched behind the dragon, distrustful, while Gina was sitting on the aft-side stairs nearby, watching Zoro swing his weights to work out some frustration.

“Alright.” She began, pouring herself another glassful. “Besides assassin, what’s your occupation?”

“An archaeologist.” Robin answered simply, watching Lassoo roll happily across the deck before meeting Gina’s upturned foot and rolling back. “I come from a long line of archaeologists. I became an archaeologist, and then a wanted criminal. That was when I was eight. Since then, I’ve spent the past twenty years hiding from the world.”

Zoro turned his head just so at the sudden flex and roll of Hikari’s shoulders, frowning.

“But then, there was no way for a child to be able to survive alone on the sea. So, in the end, in order to protect myself and in order to achieve my goal, I’ve chosen to follow various rogues. So that’s how it was.”

“So Crocodile was just another rogue?” She wondered, fiddling with the glass.

“Yeah, I guess. In order to get closer to the Rio Poneglyph.”

Recognition flashed in dark eyes, and Robin focused on her, calculating.

“So there _were_ Poneglyphs in Alubarna.”

“You know about Poneglyphs?” The archaeologist pressed, this impromptu interrogation turning on its head, and Hikari downed her whiskey.

“I know enough.”

 _More than anyone should_.

“Celestial Spirits used them once, before their key-holders universally forbade them and forced them to secrecy. The only one who would be able to say is Crux.”

“Crux?” Robin repeated quietly, and there was a sharp twist in Hikari’s chest.

“He’s basically the library of the Celestial Spirit World, connected directly to the Star Memory. Every moment of history that has passed in either of our worlds is in his head. Unfortunately, no one has seen his key since his last known key-holder passed.”

“Who was his last key-holder?” Usopp wondered, chin in hand. “Maybe we can go look where they were last-”

“That won’t help.” Hikari replied solemnly, gaze distant over the water. “His last known key-holder was Lucy Heartfilia, eight hundred years ago.”

“Heartfilia?” Nami echoed from the railing above, eyes wide, and Chopper paused in rolling after Lassoo.

“Who’s that?”

“The Heartfilia’s are World Nobles! Descendants of the kings who created the World Government! Are you saying _they_ have Crux’s key?”

“No, they don’t.” Hikari answered immediately, more certain than their navigator was expecting. “Lucy Heartfilia effectively disowned her family. When she died, her keys were given to different families and allies to be hidden across the world. Not a single one stayed in the Heartfilia’s possession, though a few have fallen into their hands over the centuries. All of them have resurfaced and changed hands, but not Crux. She would have known how important he was, and hidden him somewhere safe.”

Nami frowned at this, but Robin carefully shuttered her expression behind another mysterious smile.

The usual chaos of the Straw Hat crew began to unfold, and Hikari sat back, thumb pressed hard into the fairy on her hand.

 _Not here_.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sky stayed clear when night fell, stars twinkling as Hikari sat on watch in the crow’s nest, one hand carding through Gina’s coarse hair as she slept, head pillowed on the pinkette’s lap.

While more suited, the women’s quarters proved too closely confined for her to be comfortable at the moment.

“If you’re going to be up, you might as well join us.” Hikari said calmly, free hand reaching out to shake a thermos. “There’s coffee.”

After a few moments, Robin appeared from below, gracefully folding herself to sit on the key-holder’s free side.

“I can hardly turn down an offer like that.” She approved, picking up the extra cup that Sanji had left with some hope of being invited to stay himself.

“More that you were testing how good my ears are.” The younger countered good-naturedly, and Robin shrugged as she poured out a generous amount of coffee.

“It’s important to know the capabilities of one’s allies.”

Hikari hummed, suspecting it was more about becoming friendly with the most likely person to help in her quest for the Poneglyphs, and let silence fall between them once more.

“...I know about Ohara.”

Liquid sloshed loudly, nearly spilling over the rim more than once, and wide blue eyes snapped to meet solemn darkened gold.

“How…?”

“You say that as if I _wanted_ to know.” Hikari noted with a sad smile, producing a bottle of rum to swig from. “But I do. Stars above, I do, and that’s bad enough. I didn’t live through it.”

Robin’s hands shook, knuckles gone white, and jerked still when gentle fingers pulled the cup free to place safely aside before pressing warmly against a shoulder.

“I won’t tell them.”

“Why?” The older woman asked, that one word trembling in her throat, and Hikari closed her eyes.

“That’s your story to tell. Stars know I have my own.”

Relaxing slowly, Robin took a few deep breaths and glanced down as Gina snuffled, fast asleep in the way only a child could be.

“Will they ever hear that story?”

Hikari huffed out a laugh, old pain and sadness shining in her eyes as she took another swig of rum and offered the bottle.

“Stars help me, I hope I never have to remember it myself.”

Accepting the offer, Robin took in her face for a few long moments before taking a drink and settling in for a night of stargazing.

_Don’t we all?_


	17. Jaya Arc: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone!
> 
> I didn't realize until I was done that this arc was so much longer than in the original version, being nearly thirty pages on Word! So I decided to cut it in half, and post the next part in a few days while I work on Skypiea. This one is mostly Gina getting used to her new crewmates, and them getting used to her, so I hope you like it!
> 
> Sincerely,  
> DragonPrincess18

“I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits. And now, I beckon you to my side at once! Pass through the gate! Open, Gate of the Scorpion! SCORPIO!”

“Wicked!” The large Spirit cheered, stretching to his full six-foot height as the massive metal tail-gun attached to his lower back flexed, the word ‘Antares’ flashing from where it was engraved on the head. “Been a long time since I’ve been summoned, it’s good to be back!”

“So cool!” Luffy praised, stars in his eyes, and Chopper nodded in awe from where he was sitting on Lassoo’s shoulders.

“It’s definitely nice to meet you, Scorpio.” Hikari agreed with a smile, unable to help a snort of laughter when her captain jumped onto said Spirit’s tail to swing like a monkey. “And thank you, for giving Aquarius that book on Alabasta. It saved us a lot of trouble.”

“Little hime, my girl hasn’t loved a key-holder in centuries like she does you.” Scorpio replied seriously, placing a hand on her shoulder and keeping his tail still when Usopp and Chopper joined their captain in climbing it. “It’s an honor to join you.”

The pinkette blinked heat from her eyes, nodding, and Nami perked up from where she was evaluating Crocodile’s purloined jewels.

“What kind of Spirit are you, actually?”

“Scorpio’s a long-range combat Spirit.” Hikari answered, clearing her throat. “His tail fires sand at a high enough velocity to shatter stone and wear through steel, and he can manipulate it, too.”

“Impressive.” Sanji noted, eyeing the male Celestial Spirit. “No wonder he was in Alabasta.”

“Though you should be careful.” Robin warned from her chosen table, smiling serenely over her book at Zoro’s cautious grunt near the railing. “You have five gold keys, correct? That puts a rather large target on your back with other key-holders, or even rival crews who would want you to join them. Key-holders are increasingly rare on the Grand Line.”

“If they want my keys, they’ll have to pry them out of my cold, dead hands.” Hikari hissed, eyes flashing reptilian gold, and Scorpio grinned as Luffy swung to land on her back in a hug, scowling.

“Kari’s ours!”

The archaeologist tipped her head in agreement, offering a softer smile when Gina sat heavily across from her, shearing a chunk of broken metal off with sharp fangs.

“Crocodile didn’t care, did he?”

“And I kicked his ass!” The rubber boy reminded them, limbs wrapping around Hikari like the tentacles of an octopus. “I’ll kick all their asses, too, if they try to take Kari!”

“No one’s trying to take Kari.” Zoro grumbled, crossing the deck to ruffle his hair. “And I’d slice them in half before they even tried.”

Hikari rolled her eyes, but accepted the quick kiss anyway.

 _Boys_.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sliding another circle of weight onto the bar, Zoro glanced up at the too-nonchalant approach of their newest crew-mate, amused.

While he could write off Gina showing up during his training in Alubarna as avoiding upsetting Usopp while staying within bounds of the city, even the Going Merry’s small size would not explain how she always popped up whenever the swordsman prepared to train.

Securing the weight, he straightened, a quirked brow pulling the Iron Dragon up short.

“You’re never gonna learn just by watching.”

Ruby-red eyes widened, lighting up with a spark of hope, as she caught one of the wooden boken that Zoro had dug up earlier that day from storage.

“Starts with your stance. Here…”

Pausing in ordering her cards, Hikari glanced towards the main deck as Pyxis and Kurama squabbled over the latter preventing the former from completing his phase in the last round of Phase Ten, taking a heavy breath of the noonday sunlight to keep back a bone-deep ache.

Robin, seated by the railing there with a book, peered over with a soft smile at the continued CLACKS of wood on wood.

“It seems Kenshi-san has found a new student.”

Curious, the pinkette stood from her cross-legged spot on the floor to peer over, unable to help a smile.

Blocking a strike from the left, Gina grunted when the force sent her stumbling a pace, yelping when Zoro hooked his practice weapon behind a knee to send the young dragon sprawling.

“Your footing is off.” The swordsman noted, offering a hand. “That’s why you couldn’t take that swing. Try again.”

Grumbling, the Iron Dragon accepted the help up, unable to help the upward tilt of her mouth.

“Guess it was inevitable.” Hikari mused, watching as Zoro adjusted her grip and kicked a foot back to steady the girl’s stance.

“You cheated! That was a six!”

“It was a nine!”

“SIX!”

“NINE!”

“Oi, oi, that’s enough! Do I have to separate you two?!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sanji knew better than most what it was like to go hungry.

Those long days on that rock with the old geezer were seared in his brain, just as the darkness of a metal mask was, and he saw all of it reflected back in Gina’s bloody-red eyes.

If Crocodile was not already beaten bloody and on his way to Impel Down, Sanji would have liked a chance to kick his teeth in.

He would have to be careful getting weight back on her without causing stress to a traumatized digestive system, and Hikari-hime’s clear worry over her not only reaffirmed his undying love, but had the cook working that much harder.

Once things were settled with his dear Robin-chan- _there was no way she could be a threat, but Hikari-hime was so dedicated to the crew, how could he tell her no?_ -, Sanji immediately went about creating a special menu for their youngest crew-member high in nutrients and calories.

 _High in iron is important too_ , the cook mused, skillfully rolling sticky rice around slices of fish into an onigiri.

Gina was often found chewing absently on a piece of scrap metal, like a babe might worry on a pacifier, and his blood boiled at the thought she must have been supplementing a proper diet with her draconic element like his Hikari-hime did in dire circumstances.

_Was it still considered dire circumstances if they were your whole life?_

Gathering up drinks for his ladies in one hand and his artful platter of onigiri on the same elbow, Sanji lifted his mood with thoughts of these beautiful women and twirled out on deck.

“Hello, my lovelies!”

Nami-san glanced up with the most wonderful smile from where she was sat at an umbrella-shaded table, carefully tending to her map-drawing tools in a dark skirt and bright yellow tank top, Robin-chan sitting opposite her with a book and offering up a beautiful smile in greeting, effortlessly cool in a white button-up shirt and slim black slacks, that had him dancing across the deck to offer each a pina colada.

Hikari-hime was reclined on a lawnchair, radiant in a white bandeau top printed with pale silver starbursts and black hot pants that almost kissed the dark leather of her boots, reading a book on Grand Line flora with Chopper and Nikora perched on her lap, and Sanji’s heart nearly burst.

Her eyes rolled at his praises, but she accepted the glass magnanimously, hearts flying from the cook’s eyes until Luffy dropped from the mast overhead to hang off the back of her chair.

Only sheer respect for his captain kept Sanji from kicking him out to sea when the rubber boy stretched his neck into Hikari-hime’s personal space, giggling merrily into a kiss as Chopper read aloud an interesting chapter on a flower that could be used for healing fevers and burns and nausea, depending on what part you used, Nikora nodding along as he reached down to pat a napping Lassoo’s head.

Gina was slumped on the stern-side stairs, rolling a cool bottle of water over the back of her sweaty neck while Zoro swung his weight while patiently waiting for her, and blinked owlishly when the plate of food was offered.

“Here, eat up.” Sanji ordered, blowing a stream of smoke to the right. “Should tide you over until lunch.”

There was a moment where she seemed to expect a trick, as if the cook would suddenly pull the plate away, before accepting with careful hands.

“...Thanks.” The Iron Dragon mumbled, ducking her head as if to hide her cute fangs, and Sanji’s heart might have melted just a little.

After all, how would she know how a lady should be treated if he failed to show her?

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once the initial unease had passed, Usopp could admit that the best word he could use to describe Gina was ‘quiet’.

Unlike Luffy or himself, she was not one to speak unless the situation called for a response, stepping light as a ghost around the deck and watching everyone go about their day.

The memory of her bare back, criss-crossed with so many scars as to almost be more marks than skin, came to mind when he saw the Iron Dragon lounging with Hikari and her Spirits, or training with Zoro, or helping Chopper organize his medicines, or listening to Robin read.

 _When you’re beaten down into a shadow, one could hardly be blamed for acting like one_.

Looking over a sniffling Lassoo, chin cupped in one hand, Usopp squinted thoughtfully as Chopper wrung his hooved hands and Gina sat by the railing nearby, covered head-to-toe in black even in the summer-like heat.

“I’ve tried everything, but it’s not a cold, or a flu, or a respiratory infection…” The little Zoan fretted, reaching out to pat Lassoo’s floppy ears as the canine chuffed. “Do you think it’s his Devil’s Fruit?”

“Hm...Maybe…”

“He’s a gun, right?”

The quiet declaration drew both of their attention around, and Gina slit a red eye open, the hoops over it flashing light.

“Gun first, dog second. Faulty work shows through.”

Lassoo turned with an affronted look, barking sharply-

And sneezed, Gina raising a closed fist nonchalantly to bat the resulting projectile up over the sail to explode harmlessly with a quirked brow.

At least the dog-Zoan had enough presence of mind to look sheepish.

“That’s it!” Usopp realized, gesturing to a confused Lassoo. “He’s not sick! Hey, could you turn into a gun?”

Glancing towards Chopper, the larger Zoan shrugged and did so, the weapon settling heavily into the sniper’s hands.

He was no trained craftsmen, but he was smart, carefully checking every inch from the thick barrel to the striking mechanism.

In truth, Lassoo more resembled a rocket launcher than a gun, more barrel than handle certainly, which widened on the back end to contain his exploding ammunition.

If he was right…

“Here’s the problem!” Usopp declared, and Chopper blinked as he watched the trigger wiggle loosely in place. “Just gotta replace this, and he’ll be set! Let’s find a piece-”

The sharpshooter blinked in surprise as a little metal release plate was offered, perfectly shaped and weighted for a gun this size in comparison to the faulty one already in place, and Gina glanced away, hiding her mouth behind the thick collar of her trench coat.

She did that a lot, he realized, when thinking someone was nervous about her fangs.

“Thanks.” Usopp replied quickly, accepting the piece. “This is perfect! It’d take me ages to make something like this!”

“That’s awesome!” Chopper agreed, stars in his eyes, and the long-nose shooter was almost surprised at the pinkness becoming visible against Gina’s darker skin.

“It ain’t much...But my iron doesn’t wear out, like most things. Be better for him.”

Usopp was floored.

Without more than a glance, she had just made a specialized part in mere _moments_ , and she thought that was nothing?

“It’s amazing, is what it is! Can you do bigger things? I’ve been thinking of upgrading Nami’s Clima-Tact, but I don’t have a better metal for the casing-”

Those red eyes lit up with interest, and Chopper grinned as she leaned in, gesturing with one hand the size he wanted and the shape while Usopp nodded eagerly along.

 _Perfect_.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We should think about recruiting a shipwright.” Hikari noted as the last crumbs of breakfast were vacuumed up into Luffy’s maw. “We’ve been lucky so far, but none of us are qualified to repair any significant damage the Merry might get.”

“Or have the money to have professionals repair it.” Nami agreed, sitting back to avoid Luffy accidentally biting her fingers.

 _Again_.

“And that’s with the luck we’re near an island that would even be capable of repairs.”

“Hey now, we don’t have to worry about that!” Usopp assured, grinning as he tossed an arm companionably over Gina’s shoulders. “Captain Usopp and his amazing assistant can fix anything!”

The Iron Dragon went a bit pink at that, quietly pleased that their nervous crew-member had now gotten over his earlier fear, and Luffy swallowed his last mouthful, grinning.

“Yeah! And a musician!”

Eyes rolled all around the table, but Gina cocked her head, curious.

“We don’t need a musician.” Zoro chided, pushing away from the table.

“But pirates sing!”

“You sure can’t.” Hikari teased, gathering plates for washing.

“I can, too! La la la~!”

“Oh no you don’t!” Sanji barked, sending their captain flying out the door with one kick, and Robin shook her head in amusement as the cook turned with a smile to refill her coffee.

But Gina stared out the door thoughtfully, fingers drumming on the table, before standing.

“Hey, Usopp...You got any wire?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chopper frowned as he set the thick glass sphere containing his latest creation- _a reactive liquid that turned to gas when exposed to air, like thick pink fog_ -into Lassoo’s ammunition chamber, glancing around the deck as his fellow Zoan returned to dog-form with a shake.

Usopp was on the stern-side deck, fumes drifting off on a breeze as he created more Tabasco Stars, and Robin was on the opposite side, reading on a lawnchair while Nami sunbathed.

Zoro was training not far away, huge weight swinging, and Sanji could be seen sweeping up the kitchen now that lunch was over, eyeing Luffy where he was hanging from the mast, while Hikari was playing some sort of card game with Horologium and Eisaku, the chameleon-Spirit playing an exaggeratedly down-beat tune whenever a mistake was made that even had his fellow Spirit laughing.

_But where was Gina?_

For all that Usopp sometimes complained she was like a ghost, the Iron Dragon was usually not far away, sitting on the stairs to watch Zoro train or napping on the kitchen roof or letting Chopper and Lassoo use her as a pillow.

“Hey, Kari.” The little Zoan called, confused. “Do you know where Gina is?”

“Gina?” The pinkette echoed, brow furrowing as she glanced over the deck. “Huh...I haven’t seen her since lunch.”

“Do you think she’s sick?” He worried, though Usopp popped up at that.

“Nah, Gina’s fine! She asked for some wire or something, and went into the storage room.”

“What’s she doing with wire?” Nami wondered, roused from her doze as Robin closed her book.

“Likely building something, I imagine.”

“Cool!” Luffy declared, slinging himself towards the storage room door. “I wanna see!”

“LUFFY-”

Gina nearly jumped out of her skin at the resulting BANG, blinking owlishly when the rubber captain froze in the entryway, wide eyes locked on the object in her hands as the rest of the crew bounced off his back.

“Ow!”

“Hey!”

“Why’d you-?”

All their complaints died out in shock.

The guitar in Gina’s hands was the deep black iron of her scales, the body curved with wicked horns near the top to frame a sturdy neck, small spikes holding tension in the delicate wires that stretched over a starburst opening in the center, every surface polished smooth and shining in the faint light.

“Gina…” Hikari voiced, surprised. “What…?”

Ducking her head, the Iron Dragon shrugged, eyes darting away.

“Said he wanted a musician...Never really tried before, but…”

Luffy’s eyes turned big and shining at this, and Gina yelped when she was suddenly knocked over by a rubbery ballistic missile, chest constricting under the force of his tightening hug.

“I have the best crew!”

“Luffy, she needs to breathe!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strumming the guitar in her lap, Gina glanced up at the off-key humming Luffy was making, sprawled across Hikari’s lap with his head comfortably pillowed by her breasts.

Zoro slit an eye open as the notes gained a steady melody, the pinkette shifting in his own lap, while Chopper and Lassoo paused their game of fetch across the deck.

“ **I’d rather be tall, I’d rather be smart, I’d rather be sure you know I care…** ” The young dragon harmonized, voice smoky and rough as ever but pleasant, and Momoo peeked over the port side. “ **Wherever you go, whatever you start, I’d rather be sure you know I’m there...I’d rather I always be a part of whatever you do...I’d rather be me with you…** ”

Sanji leaned on the kitchen doorframe, smoke curling lazily from his cigarette, Nami and Robin peering over the aft-side railing.

“ **Wherever we go, I already trust, I’d know what to do if it were us...I’d know what to say, I’d know how to be, I’d know your entire strategy...I can’t think of any other thing in the world I would rather do, if I could be, I’d rather be me with you…** ”

The last note hung for a few moments before Usopp’s blubbering broke the moment, which was easily matched by Luffy, Chopper. Momoo and Lassoo.

“Th-That was beautiful!”

“Liar.” Gina retorted, cheeks going red-

The crew blinked as something hard bounced off the railing with a CLACK.

“What was-?”

Usopp yelped when Lassoo grabbed him by the overalls and hauled him aside, narrowly avoiding being struck upside the head with what looked like a rusted bowl.

“Get down!” Hikari ordered as she saw a dark spot growing rapidly in their direction from a clear blue sky, Momoo diving under the Merry with a cry. “Open, Gate of the Ram! ARIES!”

“Wool Wall!”

The fluffy pink wool created a protective dome moments before a rainstorm of debris landed, bouncing off into the water, and Chopper yelped when a massive galleon landed only yards away, rocking the Going Merry in a violent surge.

“Hang on!” Zoro bit out, one arm locking around the two in his lap while the other grabbed the railing at his back. “Hold onto the ship!”

With a curse, Gina leaped to catch Chopper with Lassoo when the ship bucked, Robin steadying Nami with blooming hands as Sanji leaped from the kitchen with hearts in his wake.

“Don’t worry, Aries-chan! I’ll protect-”

THWAP!

“Focus, pervert!” Hikari snarled, her Whip wrapping around the cook now that he had been knocked upside the head and throwing him into the mast that Usopp was clinging to like a limpet.

“Dream! Yeah, this must be a dream!”

“Turn the rudder! The rudder!” Nami ordered, both arms wrapped around the railing, as Gina dug her claws into the floorboards, iron scales hardening her skin and curling protectively over a panicking Chopper and growling Lassoo.

“No way that’ll work in these waves!” Zoro shot back as heavier debris dented the wool overhead before splashing port and starboard, splashing seawater across them from every direction as Luffy sputtered.

“Gate Close!”

“Sumimasen…” Aries apologized automatically as she faded back through her Gate, a second gold key already in hand.

“Open, Gate of the Water-Bearer! AQUARIUS!”

With a wave of the mermaid-Spirit’s hand, the wool was cast aside and the waves calmed, the Going Merry dropping a good yard or so from where it was being flung about as Aquarius looked over the waterlogged crew.

“I turn my back on all of you for a second…”

“Why the heck did a ship fall from the sky?!” Luffy burst, Gina shaking out her hair before glancing up.

“Don’t see anything it could’ve fallen from...Or anything big enough to throw it…”

“Oh man, the Grand Line is a crazy place!” Usopp whined, Aquarius patting his head as Momoo carefully surfaced with a curious moo.

“Thanks, Aquarius.” Hikari sighed, a concussed Sanji murmuring praises from where he had flopped on the deck.

“Be more careful, brat.” She warned, floating over to check her key-holder more thoroughly. “Every time you summon me, it’s like everything’s gone to shit.”

“Well, that’s usually when I need you.” Hikari agreed cheekily, glancing over at a panicked flailing in her peripheral. “Nami?”

“What’re we gonna do?! Our Log Pose is broken! It’s stuck pointing upwards!”

“Log Poses don’t break so easily.” Aquarius assured, rolling her eyes, as Luffy hopped to his feet and pulled both Hikari and Zoro up with him. “They’re made exceedingly durable, or there would be no use for them on such dangerous seas. Unless the glass is completely shattered or the needle cracked in half, it will still work flawlessly.”

“It was updated by an island with stronger magnetism.” Robin agreed, blooming hands to help Chopper right himself. “If the Log Pose needle is pointing upwards, that means the Log has been caught by the Sky Island.”

“Sky Island?” Gina and Chopper echoed, Luffy perking up with stars in his eyes.

“What’s that? A floating island?!”

“Did that ship and those bones fall from there?” Usopp chattered, eyeing the skeleton that had been tossed onto their deck in the chaos.

“But I can’t see anything like an island in the sky.” Zoro argued, glaring upwards, and Hikari turned an unimpressed look his way.

“Just like oceans can’t flow up mountains?”

“To be precise, a sea is what’s floating.” The archaeologist corrected, Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, Momoo and Lassoo almost shining with wonder.

“A sea?!”

“What, the sky is an ocean?” Gina clarified, brow furrowed. “How?”

“I’m getting more and more confused.” Sanji agreed, sitting up and sighing at the wet cigarette between his teeth.

“Yay!” Luffy cheered, almost vibrating out of his skin with glee. “There’s a sea with an island floating in the sky?! Alright! Let’s head there right away!”

“Hey, guys! Turn the rudder upwards!” Usopp ordered, cutting off with a squeak at a slap upside the head.

“Ship’s don’t _fly_ , geniuses.” Hikari reminded them, scooping up Chopper. “There’s probably an island up there, but I’m the only one who could get there.”

“Then you can fly the ship up!”

BAM!

“Does it look like I can carry this ship all the way up there?!”

“To be honest, I’ve never seen the Sky Island, nor do I know much about it.” Robin admitted, amused at the effortless way their rubbery captain popped back up, Aquarius snickering as she faded back through her Gate.

“Yeah! It’s impossible for an island or a sea to float in the air!” Nami agreed. “So the Log Pose really must be broken!”

“The Grand Line’s a weird place.” Gina voiced, eye closing as Lassoo shook himself dry. “Woulda thought islands in different seasons all year round or snowstorms in heatwaves on the sea were impossible, once.”

“Our concern right now should not be the Log Pose, it should be how we get to the sky.” Robin agreed, tilting a faint smile to the Iron Dragon. “No matter what weird situations this ship gets caught up in, or how panicked we get, we must not doubt the Log Pose. This is an ironclad rule. What we should doubt is rather the common sense in our heads. There’s definitely an island where it’s pointing.”

“And how do you suggest we learn how to get there?” Hikari wondered, and the older woman smiled.

With a little help from Momoo, a rusted old coffin was pulled aboard to join the bits of skeleton that was already there, and Robin got to work.

“What’s that woman doing, opening the coffin?” Chopper squealed, failing to hide behind Hikari’s leg.

“Can you learn something from that?” Zoro wondered, arms crossed as he watched the skull come together piece by piece.

“I don’t know.”

“You’ve got strange interests!” Nami claimed, hiding behind the mast, and Gina glanced up from where she was strumming.

“Considering some of you, this is pretty nice.”

“OI!”

“A pretty woman and the dead.” Sanji mused, crouching to get a better look. “Now _that’s_ an interesting combination.”

“Where’s Luffy?” Hikari realized, and Gina jerked a thumb out towards where said captain and their sharpshooter were playing on the wreckage, Momoo following them carefully.

“Trying to kill himself in the stupidest way possible.”

“That sounds like Luffy.” Hikari deadpanned.

“Restoration complete.” Robin declared, setting down the completed skull. “The holes here are man-made.”

“I see…” Sanji voiced, taking in the pair of holes on the right side. “Then this guy was pierced there and died, huh?”

“No, these are indications of medical treatment. It’s craterization, isn’t it, Doctor-san?”

“Yeah.” Chopper agreed, hopping onto Lassoo’s back for a better look. “In the past, they made holes in the skull in order to constrain a brain tumor. But that’s a medical technique from very long ago.”

“So he’s been dead a long time.” Hikari surmised, the dog-gun chuffing in agreement.

“That’s right.” Robin replied, sitting back on her heels. “It’s been at least two hundred years since he died. He was in his early thirties. He fell sick when travelling on the sea and died. The reason his teeth remained in good condition compared to his other bones is because tar was rubbed onto them. This custom is characteristic of some areas in the South Blue. So considering history, that was a ship for an exploration party from the past.”

Picking up a book she had dug up earlier, the archaeologist flipped through for a moment before nodding.

“Here it is. The Saint Briss of Briss, a kingdom in the South Blue. It set sail two hundred and eight years ago.”

“Definitely looks like the ship that fell.” Gina pointed out, tapping at the figurehead in the photograph. “Especially that bit.”

“This ship probably wandered in the sky for at least two hundred years.” Robin noted as Nami stepped closer.

“You can find out all that just by looking at bones?”

“Dead people may not speak, but they _do_ hold information. If this ship was for an exploration party, it should still hold various records and evidence.”

“Like how they got to the Sky Island in the first place.” Hikari concluded, nodding.

“Yeah, but the ship sank in the sea-”

Nami cut off at a startled cry from Momoo, Lassoo snickering at the pair of pirates being lifted out of the water in careful jaws, and Hikari rubbed the bridge of her nose to fight back a headache as Zoro laughed.

“This idiot…”

Both were dropped, sopping wet, onto the deck, and the rubber boy grinned proudly while holding up a rolled piece of parchment.

“Hey, everyone! I did it! I found something incredible! Look at this!”

“A map of the Sky Island?!” Chopper blurted, as starry-eyed as Lassoo, and Nami took the map that said it was of a place called Skypiea.

“See? See? Does this mean there’s really an island in the sky?!”

“Not the weirdest thing we’ve seen so far.” Hikari allowed, their navigator nodding along.

“This only means it might be possible. There’s tons of fake maps out there.”

“Never know if you don’t follow it.” Gina voiced, shrugging.

“Then let’s go!” Luffy decided, and Nami snapped like a demon.

“Listen, Luffy! I’m telling you, we don’t know how to get there!”

“You’re the navigator! Figure something out!”

“There’s some things you can’t just ‘figure out’, you know!”

“I don’t care! We’re going to the sky!”

CRACK!

“If you don’t have wings, you don’t get to comment.” Hikari scolded, reaching out to pat Momoo’s nose. “We need to figure out how _that_ ship got to this Skypiea, or we’re fucked. The Log Pose won’t point anywhere else until we do.”

“What we need now is information, like Robin said.” Nami agreed, blowing out a frustrated breath. “If a huge ship like that really went to the sky, then there’s definitely a way for _this_ ship to go as well. Let’s somehow pull out whatever records remain in that ship!”

“But the ship has completely sunk.” Usopp pointed out, and Momoo wilted at the navigator’s reply.

“If it sank, then we’ll salvage it!”

“ALRIGHT!”

“Oh, it’s okay.” Hikari cooed, cradling the sea-cow’s head as he collapsed, teary-eyed. “You’re not going alone.”

Zoro sighed in defeat when Usopp was fixed with a sharp-toothed smile.

“Right?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Gina’s help, Usopp managed to fashion some barrels into functioning diving suits connected to a rudimentary air-hose supply and communications array, which Luffy, Zoro and Sanji were effectively welded into.

“Well, well, you really make us do reckless things.” Their captain giggled, voice echoing strangely thanks to his new outfit, and Sanji visibly noodled.

“Nami-san! I’ll be sure to find a clue to the sky!”

“Keep an eye on those idiots.” Hikari advised a less-enthusiastic Zoro, patting his barrel with a giggle at the resulting scowl.

“Why aren’t _you_ going?”

“To keep an eye on _these_ idiots.” She drawled, a gold key flipping between her fingers. “And as back-up. Don’t let them get lost, Momoo.”

The poor sea-cow nodded, sniffling, and Nami sent them off with a grin.

“Good luck!”

Gina leaned on the controls as she watched the trio disappear in a gush of bubbles, Chopper standing on Lassoo’s head to reach the microphone and speaker as the dog-gun worked an air bladder.

“This is Chopper. Everyone, please respond.”

“This is Luffy!” The rubber captain replied immediately, tinny from the connection. “There’re tons of monsters down here, over!”

“Is this a giant sea snake’s nest?” Zoro wondered aloud, annoyed, a faint roar from Momoo echoing in the background.

“This is Sanji. Whoa! They looked this way!”

“Okay.” Nami acknowledged, nearly giving Usopp whiplash.

“Okay?!”

“They’ll survive, don’t worry!”

Gina turned a flat look on their navigator.

“Is that why you’re up here?”

A low sound caught Hikari’s attention then, a steady beat that thrummed right against her eardrum, and Gina growled, shaking her head irritably.

“What the hell is that?”

The rhythm grew more distinct, _closer_ , and Lassoo bared his fangs as a large ship bobbed into view over the water, alive with crewmen chanting along to a whistle and cymbals.

“Salvage, salvage! Salvage, salvage!”

“What the heck is that?” Usopp wondered, lowering his goggles for a better look.

“Company, halt!”

“Yes, sir!”

Hikari stared at the massive monkey-and-banana-themed vessel blankly, expression not even twitching when the equally-monkey-like captain hopped into view.

“Prepare to salvage the ship! The sunken ship belongs to me, the king of salvagers and the boss of the Masira Pirates!”

“Why do you punish me like this?” Hikari asked the sky, Chopper reaching out to pat her shoulder as Lassoo bristled beneath him.

“Hey, you! What’re you guys doing here?! This is my turf!”

“Your turf?” Nami parroted from where she was hiding behind their key-holder with Usopp, gaze flicking nervously to where Gina and Chopper were still manning the controls.

“That’s right. Every ship that sinks in this territory belongs to me. You haven’t touched anything that’s mine, have you, huh?!”

“Unless having it drop on us counts, no.” The pinkette deadpanned, thumb rubbing over the decorated handle of Aquarius’ key.

“Looks like he’s going to salvage the ship.” Robin noted, unruffled, Usopp nodding.

“Yeah, that’s what it sounds like.”

“Then what? Doesn’t this work for us?” Nami pointed out, and the rival captain, likely Masira, started to flail.

“Quit mumbling! Answer my question!”

“Excuse me!” The orange-haired navigator called, smiling sweetly as she stepped around Hikari. “Can I ask you a question?”

“You’re asking me a question?” Masira realized, perking up. “That’s fine! Ask me anything!”

“It looks like you’re going to salvage this ship. Is that right?”

“Looks?” The monkey-man repeated, puffing up proudly. “Hey, do you find me that monkeyful? That means handsome. Do you think I am?”

“No.” Hikari stated blandly, unaffected by Nami’s elbow in her ribs.

“Yeah!”

“Oh, come on, stop it!”

“Yes, please stop.” The pinkette drawled, Usopp flailing to quiet her before plastering on a smile.

“So, are you gonna salvage it?”

“Of course! If there’s a sunken ship in front of me, I’ll salvage it! I’m that kind of a man! If it’s on the water, I’ll sink it and salvage it! I’m that kind of a man! There’s no ship that we can’t salvage!”

“Then, is it okay if we watch you do it?” Nami wondered innocently, batting her eyes for good measure.

“Hm? Oh, I see, is salvaging work new to you? Okay, go ahead and observe it!”

“Alright!” She cheered quietly as the other crew swarmed about to fulfill their duties. “Let’s see how things go for now, everyone.”

“Boss! There’s trouble!”

“That was fast.” Gina snarked as Nami and Usopp went pale, alarm passing over the larger ship.

“What’s wrong?”

“The members who went into the sea to set the cradle are…”

“Did they get hurt by Sea Kings?”

“Well, it looks like they were beaten up by someone.”

“What?! Are you saying there’s someone down there in the sea?!”

“Called it.” Hikari muttered, light pulsing off Aquarius’ key.

“Hey, you guys! There’s someone in the sea! Be careful!” Masira called over, and Nami nodded rapidly in relief.

“Okay!”

“We could take ‘em…” Gina grumbled, and Robin hid a smile behind one hand as Hikari pat the younger dragon’s shoulder.

“No point in beating up stupid.”

If nothing else, the Masira Pirates could put on a show, and when the cradle dropped-

“What’s going on?!”

Chopper dropped onto the speakers like a furry muffler, Lassoo pumping harder on the bladders, and Usopp quickly jumped forward before the larger crew could ask what happened.

“Wh-What’s that monkey?! What’s that monkey for?!”

“Oh, this one?” Masira voiced, gesturing to the figurehead. “You have a discerning eye! You’re right, this is no ordinary prow. Launch Barco-Hunter!”

“Aye aye, sir!”

And the cymbal-wielding monkey was lowered into the sea, Usopp and Chopper’s eyes going wide.

“Wow! Amazing!”

“It’s really amazing!”

“You should be more concerned about what might happen to it.” Hikari pointed out, both blanching.

“Oh, right…”

“Alright!” Masira called, picking up a tube once everything was in place. “I’ll start blowing air!”

“What?” Nami blurted, disbelieving. “No way...Is he going to breathe into that and lift the ship up?”

“The ship’s body has risen!” Came over the speakers as their captain worked, and Gina blinked.

“Apparently, yeah.”

“Now pull it up!”

“Aye aye, sir!”

A scream cut through the air, and Hikari winced, pressing a hand to still the ringing.

“Boss! The crew that’s in the water-”

“What’s the matter?! What’s happened, guys?!”

“There’s someone in the ship! Boss! Help!”

Another scream, and Masira leaped onto the railing with a roar.

“How dare they hurt my guys?! Who the hell are they?! I’m coming! Keep working on the salvaging operation!”

“Aye aye, sir!”

A low rumble pulled Hikari’s attention around, and Gina pointed to a dark shadow in the water, hackles rising as it grew bigger and bigger and…

“Shit.”

The lines went taut moments before a monstrous turtle breached, at least the size of a small island and with the air lines caught in its beak.

“Oh, _fuck no_!” Hikari snarled, Gina snatching up Chopper and Lassoo moments before the controls were wrenched over the railing. “Open, Gate of the Water-Bearer! AQUARIUS!”

“TORRENT!”

The beast choked, mouth opening in a booming cry as a geyser punched right into its gut, and Hikari pulled back a fist, eyes a reptilian gold.

“Celestial Dragon’s CANNON!”

A blast of starlight struck the turtle sidelong, shoving it a bit away, and a cloth-wrapped Luffy and bag-laden Zoro and Sanji landed on the deck like beanbags fired from a gun.

“Set sail!” The swordsman ordered, chest heaving. “Hurry up and get out of here!”

“He’s crazy…” Sanji wheezed, equally breathless, as Momoo surfaced, quite a bit more battered than he had been.

“I’m glad you were safe!” Usopp blubbered as Aquarius sent another Torrent to push the turtle away while coaxing a wild-eyed Momoo into his harness. “Yeah, let’s get away from that turtle anyway!”

“Turtle?” Zoro echoed, frowning, as Hikari tossed aside the bags weighing him down to check for injuries. “No, there was a monkey in the sea!”

“He must be one of the sea animals.” The cook agreed, accepting Gina’s hand up.

“He was getting along with Luffy for a while.”

“Since they’re both monkeys.”

“But when he saw this stuff that we got from the ship, he suddenly started going on a rampage.”

“He went on a rampage like a gorilla!”

Sudden darkness cut off further words for a few moments before the glow of Hikari’s skin revealed Usopp, Chopper, Nami and Lassoo were crowded on the pinkette’s back.

“What?! What’s going on?!”

“It became night?!”

“Can’t be! It’s not that late yet!”

“It was just daytime, so I don’t think we missed sunset.” Gina pointed out, skin hardening into iron scales. “Something’s wrong with the turtle.”

Zoro jerked at the sight of said gargantuan creature, who was staring into the distance, slack-jawed.

“What the hell is that?!”

“Hey, get a clue!” Usopp chided, teeth rattling like dice in his mouth as the quartet dismounted to prepare for sailing. “That thing ate you and the ship! If it hadn’t been for Kari and Aquarius, you’d have been goners!”

“Why is it nighttime?” Luffy wondered, sitting up abruptly, and Aquarius rolled her eyes as she hovered by him.

“Get with the program!” Hikari scolded, smacking him upside the head as Zoro worked on the mast’s rigging.

“Luffy, give me a hand! We’re setting sail!”

“HOLD IT! YOU PUNKS!” Masira roared as he climbed the railing, dripping wet. “Don’t think you can get away after stealing treasure from my turf!”

“So you want to drown, huh?” Aquarius noted thunderously, raising her urn, when a cry came up from the other crew.

“Boss! Behind you!”

All eyes turned, freezing on the monolithic figures towering out of the ocean, weapons in hand that alone rivaled Reverse Mountain and rearing back-

“MONSTERS!!!”

With a squeal of fright, Momoo was off and towing the Going Merry along in his wake, a wave of Aquarius’ hand breaking the resistance in his way so they practically _flew_ over the water.

The adrenaline faded only once they reached sunshine, the large sea-beast flopping tiredly for a few more yards before Aquarius pet a hand over his ear.

“It’s alright, we’re safe now…”

“No way…” Zoro grunted, righting himself now that the Going Merry had settled.

“No way can something be that big…” Usopp wheezed, still thoroughly rattled.

“Man, the Grand Line is just one mystery after another…” Sanji complained, lighting a fresh cigarette. “Today, too.”

“A huge galleon fell from the sky.” Gina agreed, flat on her back with Chopper and Lassoo on her chest.

“The needle of the Log Pose is now pointing to the sky.” Nami added, frowning at said compass on her wrist.

“A weird monkey tried to salvage the ship.” Hikari muttered, plopping next to Gina as Chopper nodded.

“Then, we saw a huge turtle that ate the whole ship!”

“Then night came.” Robin noted, eyes closed in rest.

“And, at the end, we saw huge monsters who were dozens of times larger than the giants!” Luffy finished, arms flailing.

“Yeah, that about sums it up.” Aquarius decided, curling her tail around the pinkette.

“Yeah, those guys scared even me.” Masira voiced, sitting up-

Zoro released a booming laugh when a geyser shot said ‘monkey’ towards the horizon.

“GET OFF OUR SHIP, JACKASS!!!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What on earth did you guys go into the water for?” Nami complained, gesturing at the piles of cracked weapons, worn decorations and rusted armor that had been sorted on their main deck. “This stuff is all junk, and I don’t see any clues on how to get to the sky!”

“Like I said, there was nothing!” Zoro retorted, Hikari rolling her eyes at the already-old argument.

“Well, that’s the truth, Nami-san.” Sanji admitted regretfully, almost wringing his hands. “It was clear that the ship had already been plundered, or perhaps that there was some sort of mutiny and they killed each other.”

“Then all the more reason that we need information!” The navigator argued, starting to pace. “You see, if we are to go to the sky, that means what happened to that ship could happen to us! We need information to stay alive, and what’d you get?! Rusty swords, dishes, and a live octopus?! We need stuff like a journal or a sea chart!”

“You _do_ realize that paper would be one of the first things to decompose, right?” The key-holder pointed out, resolutely not looking over as Luffy clanked up on her left, though Gina had no such compunctions.

“What’s that?”

“Armor.”

CRASH!

“I got pretty seashells for you, Nami-san!” Sanji cooed, apparently oblivious to their downed captain, as Nami stormed away.

“I don’t need them, you big dummy!”

“Nami-san’s cute when she’s mad, too!”

“You’d better keep your distance from her right now.” Usopp cautioned while Luffy popped up.

“Hey, we’ve got an octopus! Let’s make some takoyaki!”

With a fresh supply, Sanji made short work of the unfortunate sea-life, floating on a trail of hearts.

“Here you go, Hikari-hime.”

“You’re intolerable.” The dragon drawled, though Gina swiped a couple pieces.

“Thanks.”

“Alright!” Luffy declared, swiping a handful himself after swinging down from where Nami and Robin were chatting. “Jaya rudder full!”

…

“Nami, which direction would that be?”

“Starboard!”

“If we go to Jaya, won’t the Log Pose reset?” The Iron Dragon wondered, offering a piece to Chopper.

“...STOP JAYA RUDDER!” Luffy ordered, turning to their navigator with a frown. “Hey, Nami! What’s the deal?!”

“What? _You’re_ the one who decided to go to Jaya.”

“Oh, yeah...But I didn’t think this’d happen!”

“It’s your fault that you didn’t think of it! The Log Pose has always worked like this, right?”

“Oh, yeah…” He muttered, turning to the crew after a moment. “Hey, listen up! Since I’m the captain, I’ll decide where we’re going!”

“What a novel idea.” Hikari deadpanned, Zoro propping his chin on her curls with a snicker.

“I wanna go to the Sky Island!”

“Okay, but how?” Nami reminded him, exasperated.

“We’re best off asking someone.” Usopp voiced around a mouthful of takoyaki.

“Yeah, let’s ask in Jaya!”

“We just had this discussion.” Gina reminded them, Lassoo whining for another piece.

“It’s not as if a Log can be stored as soon as we get there.” Robin reasoned, amused at the proceedings. “So why don’t we go to Jaya and leave before the next Log gets stored?”

“I guess we need some luck.” Nami conceded, frowning.

“Okay, then we’ll do what you just said.” Luffy decided, grinning. “Alright, guys! Let’s go to Jaya, Land of Meat!”

“Some days, I just want to punch him.” Hikari muttered, Zoro hiding a laugh in her neck.

“It’ll pass.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Still don’t see it, Usopp?” Gina called up to the crow’s nest where said sharpshooter was scanning the horizon with binoculars.

“No, I don’t see it yet.”

“This Jaya island isn’t that far, right?” Zoro voiced, glancing up from where Hikari was teaching Luffy and Chopper how to play Uno.

“Yeah, since the weather has been stable for a while now, we should already be in the island’s climate.” Nami agreed, frowning out at the water.

“Then Jaya must be a Spring Island.” Their captain voiced, Chopper nodding with a smile.

“It feels nice and warm.”

“And those seagulls mean we’re closer than you’d think.” The pinkette pointed out, glancing up at said birds as they passed overhead. “They never fly too far from shore.”

Her head twitched at a series of slight POPs-

And the seagulls hit the deck, dead.

Lassoo howled in shock, lurching to his feet, as iron scales flashed over Gina’s skin.

“They were shot!” Chopper shouted, running to the downed birds, and Luffy lit up.

“Oh, let’s make yakitori!”

BAM!

“Read the room!” Hikari scolded, joining the Zoans as they studied the fresh bodies.

“Shot?” Usopp called down, confused. “I didn’t hear any gunfire.”

“I did.” Gina growled, glaring past the figurehead as Chopper pulled something small and leaden loose.

“Look, I found a bullet! Considering the direction that they were flying, the bullets came from the direction the ship’s facing!”

“Are you saying that shots came from an island that we can’t even see yet?” Nami clarified, pale. “That’s impossible.”

“You keep saying that as if it changes reality.” Hikari retorted, Zoro frowning as he pat Gina’s shoulder, the scales slowly softening back to skin under his touch.

“Then what kind of eyesight, sniping skills and rifle do you think this sniper has?” Their own sharpshooter wondered, strangely awed. “They were shot somewhere else and just happened to fall now.”

“Awful cheery, considering he coulda shot your nose off.” Gina warned, and he dropped out of sight with a squeak of fright.

“Come on, Kari!” Luffy whined, hanging off her shoulders. “Can’t you get us there faster?”

“I can’t call Aquarius every time you get impatient.” She argued, sighing at the wobbly pout aimed her way, and Zoro wrapped an arm around both of them, brow quirked.

“You know how he is.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

The rubber boy lit up as a familiar gold key was unclipped from her ring.

“Open, Gate of the Water-Bearer! AQUARIUS!”

“You’re a menace.” The mermaid-Spirit stated emphatically, unable to help a fond eye-roll at Luffy’s grin. “Hold on tight.”

Once the sail was safely rolled up and everyone braced against the mast, Momoo curled up in his little net-bed underneath the hull, Aquarius waved her urn-

If they had thought the sea-cow’s flight earlier had been fast, it paled in comparison.

In moments, Aquarius pulled them to a stop well within sight of a bustling dock, giggling at how Usopp plopped over on jelly-looking legs.

“Thanks, Aquarius.” Hikari voiced, grabbing him by the scruff as Aquarius retreated through her Gate with a wave.

“No problem, brat.”

“Wow, cool!” Luffy declared, jumping on the pinkette’s back to crane his neck. “I see a neat-looking town!”

“Hey, hey, doesn’t it look kinda like a resort?” Usopp wondered, popping up.

“Yeah, it makes me feel like I want to stick around a bit.” Nami agreed, earning a quirked brow from Gina as she jerked a thumb towards the ships already docked.

“So all the pirates don’t put you off?”

“Since when can pirate ships just openly line up in a harbor?!” The navigator yelped, latching onto Hikari’s arm as a scream echoed in the air.

“When there isn’t anyone to stop them.” She drawled, Lassoo growling as he curled protectively around Chopper.

“Let’s go exploring!” Their captain decided, shaking her shoulders hard. “Come on, Kari! Zoro!”

“All three of you?!” Nami and Usopp wailed, Zoro rolling his eyes as Hikari crouched to pat a teary-eyed Chopper’s head.

“Stay here with Gina, Momoo and Lassoo, okay? We’re gonna ask around about the Sky Island and be right back.”

“Yeah, stay!” Usopp agreed, latching onto Gina now.

“You’ll stay, right Sanji-kun?” Nami pleaded, and the cook immediately melted into hearts.

“Of course, Nami-san!”

“Let’s _go_!” Luffy whined, and the pinkette sighed as she was effectively dragged to the railing, Momoo peeking out of the water sleepily.

“We’ll be right back, sweetheart. Protect the Merry, okay?”

With a yawn, the sea-cow nodded as the anchor was dropped, and Nami watched the trio head off into town in tears.

“We’re doomed.”


	18. Jaya Arc: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> I'm already mostly-done with Part One of the Skypiea Arc, so I decided to put this one out earlier than expected.
> 
> I hope all of you are healthy and safe at home, and that these quick updates are helping hold back cabin fever for you like they are for me!
> 
> Sincerely,  
> DragonPrincess18

Mock Town was very much a pirate’s sort of resort, with numerous bars and gambling dens and shady shops, people drinking and throwing dice and being overall rowdy in the streets without fear of reprisal.

“I can take care of perverts myself.” Hikari complained, the surrounding pirates scurrying a safe distance away as their fellow was dropped in a battered heap on the ground.

“He touched you, and you didn’t like it.” Luffy replied seriously, Zoro resheathing Wado with a scowl.

“No one else gets to touch your ass but us.”

Eyes rolling when the swordsman dropped an arm around her shoulders, the pinkette sighed as Luffy wrapped his arm around from the other side, squeezing her hip and glaring at the remaining pirates until they looked away.

“We’re here for information, not to get kicked out. _Behave_.”

Both pirates mumbled in agreement, knowing better than to argue-

All three pulled up short, nonplussed, at a fallen man in the street.

“Who’s he?” Luffy wondered, head tilting. “Look, he fell from a horse.”

“Yeah, he did.” Zoro noted, eyeing the sweaty, thin-legged animal.

“Hey, are you okay?” Hikari wondered, concerned at his pallor and weak groans of pain.

“Sorry to bother you…” The man wheezed. “But please help me get up…”

“You’re not going to get up by yourself, are you?” Zoro grumbled, sighing at the big dark eyes turned his way by their girlfriend. “Luffy, get that side.”

“Okay.”

With ease, the two threw him back onto the placid horse’s saddle with a grunt.

“Well, thanks...I’m on the horse now…I was born frail...Now, let’s go, Stronger…”

And then the horse collapsed.

“The horse, too?!”

Hikari sighed as she righted the poor beast with a pat to the snout, and the man smiled, grabbing a basket of apples.

“Thanks again...This isn’t much of a reward, but would you like some?”

The hair on Hikari’s neck prickled, and Zoro growled.

“You’re too suspicious! We don’t want any, so beat it already.”

“Hey, apples! Tha-”

BAM!

Luffy’s face hit the street mid-bite moments before a nearby building burst into flame, shouts going up in surprise.

“What happened?!”

“Well, some guys were eating apples that they got from a strange man, and then they exploded! Five of them!”

“SPIT IT OUT!” Hikari roared, outright strangling the bit of apple from their captain’s throat as Zoro grabbed Wado’s hilt.

“You bastard! What’s the meaning of this?!”

“Well, he’s alright.” The strange chuckled weakly. “If you ate a bad one, you would’ve died on the first bite. You’re...lucky.”

“ _You’re_ lucky, or I’d be ripping your head from your shoulders.” Hikari snarled, Stronger wisely shying away at the hint of fang that was bared. “Come on. And _stop eating food from strangers_ , you fucking moron!”

“But it was fine!”

CRACK!

“ _That’s not the point_!”

Zoro followed as she dragged their fool captain away, glaring at the mysterious stranger one last time for good measure.

The locals were smart enough not to get in the key-holder’s way, at least, and she decided on a cheerful enough place called Pub and Pies as their first stop.

The tables were full, but the bar only had one patron when the trio sat, rubber boy and swordsman pointedly boxing Hikari in while putting in their order with the mild-mannered bartender for beers, a bottle of whiskey, and a cherry pie.

Downing her first shot with a sigh, the dragon leaned heavily on her elbows, head tilting at the murmurs of Straw Hat that floated up at her back.

“Hey.” She called out, drawing the balding bartender’s attention back around from the glasses he was drying. “How long does it take for a Log Pose to reset here?”

“Ah, about four days.” He answered amicably, and the pinkette poured herself another shot, thoughtful.

“Then we can’t even stay two days…”

“Hey, old guy!”

“Hey, buddy!”

The matching shouts jerked her attention around to Luffy and the man on his other side as they knocked on the bar.

“This cherry pie tastes extremely bad!”

“This cherry pie tastes extremely good!”

Both paused as the others’ words registered, glaring for a moment, before taking matching drinks from their tankards.

“This drink tastes exceptionally good!”

“This drink tastes exceptionally bad!”

Hikari face-palmed as the pair turned on each other, Zoro downing his own beer while asking for another.

“Is there something wrong with your tastebuds?”

“Is there something wrong with your head?” Luffy countered, and the bartender watched them descend into competing orders of steak and cherry pie with bemusement.

“You bastard!” They screamed at each other, Zoro rubbing at his forehead. “Wanna fight?!”

“What the hell are you fighting about?!”

“They’re _not fighting_.” Hikari bit out, and people murmured nervously at the way shadows grew deeper in the room.

“Are you a pirate?” The older man asked, causing Luffy to straighten.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“What’s the bounty for you?”

“Thirty million.”

“Thirty million? For you? Can’t be true! It’s gotta be a lie!”

“I’m not lying! That’s the truth!”

“Oi, stop it!” Zoro barked, a wrapped box dropping pointedly on the bar.

“Hey, no fighting in the bar!” The bartender ordered firmly. “Take this and leave now! Fifty cherry pies!”

A tense moment, and the man grabbed his order, leaving without another word.

“I can’t take you anywhere.” Hikari scolded, leg jittering for a moment before her focus went to a sudden new arrival.

“Is there a pirate with a straw hat here?” He asked, arms crossed arrogantly as Luffy turned with an owlish blink. “So you’re the thirty million bounty, Straw Hat Luffy.”

“What’s this about?” The rubber boy wondered, and Zoro sipped at his fourth beer as the newcomer approached.

“Looks like he’s got business with you, Luffy.”

“Boy, I keep running into tall guys today.”

“Give me your most expensive alcohol.” He ordered, unaware of the slit-pupil gold eyes following his every move as he sat. “And give this shorty what he wants as well.”

“Huh? This place is full!”

Zoro frowned as more people followed in the man’s wake, wearing obnoxious furs and sunglasses.

“What is this place? It’s stinky and dirty!”

“And cheap-looking rum is about all they’ve got.”

Quite a few of the other patrons quickly abandoned their seats, like rabbits scenting foxes, as the bartender placed two fresh drinks in front of Luffy and who, according to whispers, was Bellamy.

“Well, have a drink.”

“Oh, thanks! You’re actually a nice guy!” The straw-hat captain replied, lifting up his glass for a big gulp-

Bellamy grunted when his wrist was caught inches from that straw hat, molten gold eyes burning in a face set in stone.

“Don’t.”

Scowling, Bellamy visibly strained as Luffy turned to blink at him in confusion, the smirks and sneers of his crew fading when he failed to get so much as a centimeter closer.

“I wouldn’t.” Zoro advised, gaze sharp even while his tone was placid. “Unless you want to lose the arm.”

With a bare flex of the wrist, Hikari had him on the floor with a scream, fingers digging into the soft meat of his joint and thumb pushing his own into a painful angle.

“If she’s feeling generous.” The swordsman allowed, smirk sharp on his face, as a blue-haired pirate lurched to his feet, fur coat open to reveal a bare, tattooed chest and a massive kukri blade in hand.

“Who do you think you are?!”

“Don’t you know who he is?!”

“That’s Bellamy the Hyena!”

“An upcoming rookie pirate worth fifty-five million beli!”

“I’m sorry, is that supposed to be intimidating?” Hikari wondered blandly, twisting hard to slam Bellamy’s face into the floor and pressing her boot into his spine. “Because I’m not feeling intimidated.”

A few more pirates rose from their seats, weapons ready, and the keys on her hip pulsed sharply.

“Pantherlily.”

There was no friendliness to soften the cat-Spirit’s scarred face as he towered over the opposing crew, his Bustermarm’s point easily sliding into the floorboards like a line in the sand, and the sight brought all of them up short.

“What the hell?!”

“What is that?!”

“Where’d he come from?!”

“Huh?” Luffy voiced, eyeing all of them like they were idiots. “Lily’s a Spirit! What else would he be?”

“A Spirit?” The blade-wielding pirate repeated with a bark of laughter. “A Celestial Spirit? There’s no such thing!”

“No such thing, huh?” Hikari drawled, gold eyes flashing. “Pantherlily, why don’t you show him how real you are?”

Fast as a blink, there was a clash of metal, and the first mate of the Bellamy Pirates, Big Knife Sarquiss, could only tremble in fear as the tip of Pantherlily’s Bustermarm grazed his throat, his own blade still quivering in a nearby wall.

“It’s surprising, how many people make it to the Grand Line and still think so many things are impossible.” Hikari mused, twisting her grip when Bellamy shifted under her foot and forcing out a sharp cry before shoving him away into a nearby table. “Because Celestial Spirits are real, just like the One Piece, like the All Blue, like islands floating in the sky. And if you’re too stupid to believe in them, you don’t deserve to be a pirate.”

Luffy grinned, jittery with excitement, and Zoro turned in his seat, leaning back to enjoy the show as Bellamy scrambled onto his feet, face going purple with outrage.

“Stupid woman! Those are just stories told to idiot dreamers so they can die on these seas!”

“To get here, you had to sail up a mountain taller than the clouds.” Hikari replied archly, Pantherlily shouldering his massive blade with a smirk. “Then sailed through seas that changed from snowstorms to hurricanes to thunderstorms as quick as you can blink. There are islands locked in perpetual winter, lands of desert, places stuck in prehistoric times...And you’re going to tell me with a straight face that there’s no chance whatsoever that the One Piece exists?”

Luffy laughed outright at the furious expression on Bellamy’s face as he sputtered, Zoro snickering into the last of his beer, and the pinkette rolled her eyes.

“If none of you have any useful information on the Sky Island, then there’s no point in sitting here.”

Pointedly turning away as Pantherlily faded back through his Gate with a smirk, she offered the poor bartender a smile and pulled a neat stack of beli from her cleavage to place next to the half-finished bottle of whiskey before downing that last shot.

“Sorry for the disturbance. Come on.”

The rival pirates rose from their seats to block the exit when they stood, and Zoro palmed Wado’s hilt as Luffy almost bounced in place, fingers flexing.

“This is going to happen one of two ways.” The key-holder warned them, smile poison-sweet. “Either you move, or _we move you_. Which one is it gonna be?”

There was a certain sharp tilt to Luffy’s grin and a gleam in Zoro’s stormy eyes that promised one hell of a fight, and Bellamy almost snarled to himself when his own crew backed down nervously, glaring as the trio of comparatively-rookie pirates continued on their way out the door.

“Oi, you!”

Pausing on the threshold, Hikari glanced over her shoulder curiously, Zoro already shoving the swinging barriers open.

“What’ll it cost to have you join my crew?”

In a split second, the captain and swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates went from amused bystanders to bloodthirsty demons ready to rip out Bellamy’s throat, and the surrounding pirates scattered like cockroaches.

With a scoff, Hikari ignored him and grabbed her boyfriends by the arms, guiding them out.

“No fighting until we get information on how to get to the Sky Island.”

Both glared venomously at the captain with a silent promise to beat him bloody next time they crossed paths as the doors swung shut, and silence fell over the bar.

Sarquiss, for one, wished his captain had tried to start a fight with different pirates.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Momoo trilled at the sight of their return, ears wiggling happily as Lassoo howled a greeting, and Usopp turned from where Gina had hefted him up to hammer a fresh patch of wood to Merry’s damaged side.

“There you are!”

“You’re back!” Chopper cheered, waving wildly from the dog-gun’s head.

“You didn’t destroy anything, did you?” Nami questioned, eyeing the trio as they vaulted the railing, and Luffy pouted.

“Why would you ask that? Rude!”

“Considering what you did to Rainbase, I think it’s a pretty standard question.” Hikari teased, Zoro snickering as that wobbly-lipped pout was turned her way.

“Did you learn anything?” Gina cut in, and the older dragon sighed.

“No. Looks like we pulled into an island of blind idiots.”

“You just have to know where to look.”

“Oh! Welcome back, Robin-chan!” Sanji greeted as he burst from the kitchen, hearts in his wake as the archaeologist used her Devil’s Fruit to walk calmly aboard. “Would you like to eat first, or shall I prepare your bath?”

“Oh, Robin, did you go somewhere?” Luffy wondered, pout melting away as he hung off Hikari’s back.

“Yeah. I got some clothes and information about the Sky Island.”

A disembodied hand bloomed, holding a map up for the pinkette to accept.

“Looks like Jaya.”

“It is.” Robin confirmed, setting down her shopping bag. “The town drawn on the left is Mock Town, where we are now. And you see an X on the other side, right? I heard that a man who doesn’t blend in Jaya lives there. His name is Montblanc Cricket. A man who talked about dreams and was driven out of this town. You might have something in common to discuss.”

“Then why don’t we try going there?” Luffy decided, Gina rolling her eyes.

“Those salvagers are hanging around here somewhere, you know.”

“Already?” Hikari grumbled as Zoro went to lift the anchor, patting Chopper’s head.

“Eh, we can take them if we have to.”

Of course, there was no ‘if’ about it.

Though they were not _exactly_ the same salvagers from earlier.

“Hey, hey, you guys!” The captain shouted, more like an orangutan than a gorilla with long blonde hair. “Quit mumbling over there! Ha! Honestly, I got all worked up wondering who you guys were!”

“That’s quite a reckless face you’ve got!” Luffy shouted back. “What species are you?”

“I’m human, you moron!”

“You punks!” His crew roared, up in arms. “Don’t you know Shojo-sama?!”

“No.” Hikari deadpanned, causing a crew-wide face-plant.

“Now, now…” Shojo waved off, playing cool. “Looks like you’re pirates. Did you know that Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, was defeated? When you consider my abilities, that post may come to me. So I’ve been getting all worked up waiting to be contacted.”

“Really?” Gina drawled, arms crossed and brow quirked in disbelief. “ _You_?”

“Well, in any case, the great part about me is that I haven’t had my hair cut in all my twenty-five years of life. Now, aren’t you surprised?”

“Sounds stupid.” Luffy told him plainly, earning a tick of the eye.

“Now, now, what you say really gets me all worked up. Listen. You will come out of the tunnel that is my anger into a sea of blood.”

“Okay, whatever.” The rubber captain dismissed, already peering around the larger ship. “But there’s a place we wanna go, so move aside.”

“Idiot!” Shojo burst, officially losing his temper. “This area is my turf! If you wanna pass through, pay the toll!”

“What’s he mean by his turf?” Usopp questioned, hiding behind Hikari with Chopper and Lassoo. “He’s talking like Masira.”

“Did Masira say stuff like that?” Their captain wondered, immediately catching the other’s attention.

“What? Masira?! What about Masira?!”

“Kari punched him off our boat, but…”

“Punched?!” The older pirate raged, almost alight with fury. “How dare you do that to my brother?! This is revenge for Masira!”

“I’m trembling in my boots.” Hikari retorted blandly, and Zoro snorted on a laugh as Shojo grabbed a microphone.

“Sound Wave! Havoc Sonar!”

The swordsman lurched forward as Hikari staggered, hands clapped to her ears, and Luffy yelped with wide eyes as Momoo breached with a wail, Gina dropping to her knees while Lassoo flopped over with a whine of pain, Chopper scratching at his ears.

Then a plank of wood creaked.

“This isn’t good!” Usopp shouted as the deck began to splinter and the railings peel apart. “The ship’s starting to fall apart, particularly the repaired areas! The ship’s body is worn out enough as it is!”

Hikari _keened_ , and Luffy had enough.

“SHUT UP!!!”

Shojo’s ‘singing’ cut off with a CRUNCH as a rubbery fist impacted his mouth, throwing him back through his own ship, and Momoo spun his heavy back-end into the offending ship in fresh fury.

Gina flopped onto her back as the other ship was sent flying back over the water, chest heaving, and Lassoo burrowed into her side with Chopper, still whimpering.

“I’m okay…” Hikari forced out as Zoro helped lower her onto the deck, wheezing when Luffy catapulted into her chest and knocked both of them back into the swordsman. “Less okay now…”

Zoro yelped when Gina, Chopper and Lassoo were dragged into the embrace by a rubbery arm, nearly toppling over as Sanji sputtered, hovering like a frantic mother bird.

“This is unacceptable! If I ever see that monkey again, I’ll kick his head in!”

“Do you have to shout?” Gina growled, rubbing at her temples with a wince, which only upset the cook more.

“Stupid monkey.” Luffy grumbled into the pinkette’s breasts, huffing like an enraged bull as Momoo circled the Going Merry with growls and whines, and Hikari sighed, patting his hat.

“Down, boy…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, we’re here!” Nami called, double-checking their map as the crew rushed to get a look.

“Amazing!” Luffy, Usopp and Chopper chorused, starry-eyed as they took in the large castle on the jagged, raised shoreline ahead.

“That’s his house?! That’s a palace!”

“Is this Montblanc Cricket guy mega rich?!”

“Idiots.” Zoro chided, scratching behind Lassoo’s ear when the dog-gun leaned on his hip. “Look closer.”

“A dreamer, huh?” Sanji mused, lighting his cigarette with a flick of the wrist as the anchor was dropped. “He does seem to be vain.”

“What the-?” Luffy sputtered when he jumped over the railing. “It’s just a board?!”

“Definitely knows how to play the game.” Gina noted, helping Lassoo over the railing after Chopper.

“What kind of dreams did he talk about that would get him driven out?” Nami wondered, glancing over to Robin.

“I don’t know the details, but I heard that he said a huge amount of gold rests in Jaya.”

“Like a buried treasure?” Hikari clarified, and the archaeologist shrugged.

“Well, I don’t know.”

“GOLD!!!” Their navigator cheered, beli in her eyes. “Dig the ground, Chopper! Lassoo! Gold will appear!”

“It will if I dig?”

SMASH!

“That’s not how it works.” The pinkette chided, scooping up a confused Chopper.

On the other side of said board-castle was what looked like half of a house, a much-smaller two-story stone construct in front of a clear section of grass, a large tree stump acting as an outdoor table to overlook the sea and the thick jungle further inland.

“Hello, I’m coming in.”

Gina face-palmed as Luffy went into the house without so much as knocking, Usopp flailing not far behind.

“No one’s here...Hello!”

“You idiot, wait! What’re you gonna do if this guy’s dangerous?”

“Hey, someone left this out.” Hikari realized, picking up a cloth-bound, hardcover picture book. “‘Noland The Liar’...”

“Wow, that’s a cool title!” Their sniper approved. “Nice idea for a book!”

“ _You_ would think so.” The pinkette drawled, Sanji turning in surprise.

“Noland The Liar?”

“You know it, Sanji-kun?” Nami replied, taking the book to look over the dustjacket. “But it says it was published in the North Blue.”

“Yeah, I was born in the North Blue. Haven’t I told you guys?”

“Not that I remember.” Gina voiced, circling back around the clearing with Chopper on one shoulder and Lassoo trotting on her heels.

“I grew up there. This is a famous story in the North. It’s a fairytale, but I’ve heard that this Noland guy actually existed long ago.” The cook explained, blowing out a cloud of smoke. “This is a story from long, long ago.”

“A story that took place four hundred long years ago.” Nami agreed, opening the book to read. “A man named Montblanc Noland lived in a North Blue country. Noland, an explorer, always talked about his incredible adventures. However, the villagers couldn’t tell if those stories were true or not. One day, he reported to the king after coming back from his travels. ‘I saw a mountain of gold on an island in the great sea.’ The courageous king set sail to the great sea to see if the story was true, taking two thousand soldiers along with him. After surviving great storms and battling against monsters, only the king, Noland, and a hundred soldiers made it to the island. However, what they found there was just a jungle. In the end, he was sentenced to death for the crime of lying. Noland’s last words were as follows: ‘That’s right! The mountain of gold sank in the sea!’ The king and the others were dumbfounded. No one believed Noland any longer, because Noland continued to lie until his very death. This book is based on the North Blue fairytale ‘Noland The Liar’. Alas, the liar died...before he could become a brave warrior of the sea.”

“Don’t look at me!” Usopp protested. “And don’t add in a heartbreaking sentence on your own!”

SPLASH!

Hikari felt her heart drop like a stone when she saw Luffy’s head disappear underwater.

“LUFFY!”

Momoo squealed, diving after him moments before a new figure burst out, bare-chested and heavily muscled from what must have been long hours of swimming.

“Who the hell are you?! You’ve got guts, relaxing at someone’s house without permission! The sea in this area is my turf!”

“Another one?!” Gina growled, arms already sheathed in iron scales as Lassoo bared his fangs.

“You’re after the gold, aren’t you?! Die!”

Sanji nearly had a heart attack when the man’s punch was blocked by Hikari’s fist, the pair quickly trading and parrying a series of blows until she took advantage of their great height difference to take out her opponent’s knee.

Falling back with a grunt, the heavy blonde pulled out a pistol-

The bullet flew skyward when her foot impacted the barrel, gun skidding away as Luffy was dropped onto the grass nearby like a landed fish.

A sudden tremble skittered over the man’s frame, and Hikari pulled her next punch moments before he collapsed, out cold.

“Shit! Chopper!”

A chuff from Lassoo cut off the reindeer’s immediate panic, and he snapped into doctor-mode admirably quickly.

“Gina, get him inside! Kari, make sure Luffy didn’t swallow any sea water! Usopp, bring cold towels! Nami, open up all the windows!”

The crew scrambled to do as told, eventually crowding into the little home with their unconscious host safely tucked into the only bed, Luffy fully recovered from his ‘swim’ and perched on Hikari’s shoulders to watch Chopper work.

“What happened?” Gina wondered, accepting the pillow Lassoo offered and tucking it in against the wall as the little doctor frowned.

“Caisson disease.”

“Is this guy sick?” Their captain wondered while the cool towels were spread across a bare torso.

“Yeah, it’s a sickness that divers sometimes get, but it doesn’t usually become a longstanding condition.”

“Aquarius warned me about it.” The pinkette agreed, frowning. “If you come up too fast, the nitrogen dissolved in your blood gets released quickly and forms gas bubbles that expand inside and outside the vessels. That can really inhibit blood flow and cause issues with the muscles and joints. She called it The Bends, since it can make you dizzy, vomit, or even pass out like you just drank yourself into a stupor.”

“So it’s some bizarre phenomenon, huh?” Luffy concluded, whining at the smack Zoro delivered upside his head.

“He probably kept diving every day without giving time for those bubbles to disappear from the body.” Chopper deduced, sitting back heavily and patting Lassoo’s head when the dog-gun trotted up.

“What for?” Nami wondered, glancing around as if the answer would appear from the spartan furnishings.

“I don’t know, but he’s taking a risk. In some cases, caisson disease can cause death.”

“OLD-TIMER!!!”

Usopp about jumped out of his skin and onto Luffy’s back when Masira and Shojo tossed the door aside and got stuck together in the frame.

“Are you alright?!”

“THEY’VE COME TO KILL US!”

“What’re you guys doing here?!” Shojo demanded as Gina stepped in front of Chopper, hands already iron-plated claws. “What did you do to the old-timer?!”

“What?” Luffy voiced, blinking innocently. “We’re looking after this guy right now, so go somewhere else.”

The pair of opposing captains blinked-

“You guys are so nice!”

“You guys live here, too?” The straw-hat captain asked, hopping over to lead the pair out.

“Well, the old-timer’s house _is_ the headquarters of the Saruyama Alliance.”

“But we sleep on our ships most of the time because this house is too small for us.”

“It’s because you guys are too big. Well, to those giant guys you look like a ball of earwax, though. Hey, Momoo, don’t worry! They’re friends now!”

“Of course they are.” Hikari muttered, unable to help the amusement tipping her mouth, and Chopper perked up.

“He’s come around!”

“Hey, old diamond-head!” Luffy cheered, nearly knocking Zoro over in his enthusiasm. “I wanna ask you something!”

“Sorry I caused you trouble.” Cricket apologized, gratefully accepting a light from Sanji for his own cigarette. “I thought you were just more idiots after the gold.”

“What?! You have gold bullion?!” Nami squealed, earning a slanted glance from Gina.

“You gotta one-track mind…”

“What is it that you wanna ask me?” Cricket redirected back to Luffy, sitting upright.

“Old guy, we wanna go to the Sky Island! Please tell us how to get there!”

“Sky Island?” He chuckled, raising Hikari’s hackles. “You guys believe in the Sky Island?”

“There’s no Sky Island, old guy?” Luffy challenged, pouting.

“No one knows.” The man admitted, taking a long drag before tapping ash out the window. “I know someone who said there is, but people call him a legendary big liar. His family became a laughingstock forever.”

All eyes turned to Usopp, who flailed.

“It’s not me!”

“Noland The Liar.” Hikari deduced, and Cricket tipped his head in acknowledgement. “His surname was Montblanc...He’s your ancestor, isn’t he?”

“A descendant?” Nami realized. “Could this place be the island in the story?”

“He’s my distant ancestor.” The diver agreed, expression severe. “What a nuisance...I doubt there’s a drop of his blood in my body. Although the Montblanc family was driven out of the country then and has kept a low profile, people continue to denounce our family to this day. But no one in the family hates him.”

“Why?” Chopper wondered, plopping onto Lassoo’s back as the dog-gun sat obediently by the bedside.

“Because Noland was an extraordinarily honest person. Noland’s last excuse in the picture book is like this: ‘That’s right! The mountain of gold sank in the sea!’ A stupid-looking face is drawn in this book, but he shed many tears and died a regrettable death. He was sure that the island he reached was Jaya, where he found the wreckage of a city of gold. He felt that there was no way it was just an illusion. Noland insisted that the ruins had submerged due to crustal movements, but everyone thought he was making excuses out of desperation. Noland was executed in front of the laughing onlookers, and only the ‘Liar’ name remained.”

“Oh, I see!” Usopp voiced, perking up. “You’re looking for the city of gold on the seabed in order to clear the Montblanc family’s name!”

“Don’t be silly!” Cricket bit back, cigarette crunching between his teeth. “How honest my distant ancestor was, or how great an explorer he was, has nothing to do with me! Can you understand how a kid would feel being laughed at by strangers just because he’s the descendant of such an idiot?! That’s how I grew up!”

“...You may not like him, but who he was shaped you.” Hikari stated softly, a barely-scabbed wound being opened to messily rescar, and Zoro palmed Sandai Kitetsu’s hilt to keep the blade quiet. “Even if it was only so you ended up nothing like him.”

Cricket considered this quietly, blowing out a steady stream of smoke before nodding.

“Over the last four hundred years, many set sail to restore our family’s honor, though all of them went missing. I was ashamed of such a family. I ran away from home and became a pirate.”

“Oh, you’re a pirate, too?” Luffy chirped, wrapping his arms thrice around Hikari’s waist and peering over her shoulder.

“It’s not that I wanted to become a pirate. I just wanted to escape from Noland’s spell. And over time, I came to have my own pirate group. At long last, I entered the Grand Line, and I spent all my time on adventures. But ten years ago, my ship reached this island by accident. Strangely enough, only I, who continued to hate the Montblanc family and Noland the most, made it here. The island didn’t have a city of gold, just like the picture book said. As I stood on a cape of this island, I felt that it was destiny. There was no place to escape to. If it’s there, that’s fine. If it’s not there, that’s fine, too. It’s not that I want to prove his innocence. This is a duel with the man who threw a wrench into my life. I want to set the record straight before I die.”

Usopp was tearing up rather dramatically now, with Chopper not far behind, but Luffy just jerked a rubbery thumb towards the door.

“Then what about them? Why are those monkeys here?”

“There must’ve been an exciting drama spoken with the fists of men committed to exploring the seabed.” Usopp blubbered, and Gina dug a handkerchief from inside her trench coat to offer him.

“Those guys are fans of the picture book.”

“That sounds about right.” Zoro snickered, dropping his elbow on Luffy’s head.

“I think it was five or six years ago.” Cricket mused, tapping off more ash. “They heard a rumor about me and barged in on me. They said, ‘We think Noland’s gold definitely exists!’ The sea around here is deep. In the dark, cold sea, you’re haunted by a deep solitude. I just dove and searched alone every day. They just came into my life and became my underlings without my permission, and they romp around. Single-minded idiots like them...make me feel relieved, to be honest. Do you understand?”

“Better than you could possibly imagine.” Hikari answered emphatically, glaring when the swordsman purposely leaned all his weight on Luffy and forced her to correct.

“I do, too.” Usopp blubbered, drying his eyes without much success. “Yeah, real comrades give each other strength and-”

“Well, putting the story about those monkeys aside…” Luffy interrupted, earning an affronted sputter. “Like I said, I wanna go to the Sky Island, old guy!”

“You’re a hasty one.” Cricket chuckled, grabbing a book from the nearest shelf. “Yeah, I did tell you, right? The witness to the Sky Island is that Noland The Liar. If you have anything to do with him, you’ll be laughed at like me.”

“What?! He’s been to the Sky Island, too?!”

“Unfortunately, this doesn’t say he did, but…”

“A logbook?” Nami realized as he flipped through the pages, inching forward to peer over Chopper and Lassoo. “Could it be Noland’s?”

“That’s right. Read around there.”

“Amazing, a logbook from four hundred years ago…” The navigator marveled, appreciating the old leather a moment before focusing on the neat handwriting. “Sea Ephemeris Year 1120, June 21st, Sunny. We left Villa, a cheerful town. Following the Log Pose, we should be heading east-northeast from the harbor. We got a rare item from the bumboat that we came across during the day. It’s a ski-like one-person boat called a Waver.”

Luffy and Usopp immediately joined Chopper in crowding closer, dragging Hikari and Zoro along for the ride.

“It’s a mysterious boat that can generate wind and move even on a day without wind. It seems that you need to get the hang of it to ride, and I couldn’t manage it. Right now, it’s become a perfect toy for my crew.”

“No riding one without supervision.” Hikari warned, all four whining at the verdict.

“Is there more?” Chopper pressed, Lassoo placing his forepaws on the bed so both could get a better look.

“The power for this seems to be a product found only on the Sky Island, and I hear that many peculiar things like that exist in the sky. Speaking of the Sky Island, one of my explorer friends showed me a live sky-fish. I was surprised at how strange the fish looked. To our ship, it’s still an unknown area, but as a sailor, I’d like to go to the sea in the sky one day. Montblanc Noland...He said ‘the sea in the sky’!”

“It’s just like Robin said!” Luffy agreed, swinging reindeer and dog around in glee.

“And it sounds like the Sky Island was a pretty normal thing for people back then!” Usopp agreed, dancing in glee around an amused Gina. “So it really does exist!”

“Hey, get out here!”

The crew paused at this unexpected shout, finding Cricket no longer in bed, and stepped out to see him sitting at the stump-table with Masira and Shojo.

“I’ll start by telling you everything I know about the Sky Island.” He began, causing Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Lassoo to sit in an eager line, like children at storytime. “None of it’s certain, but it’s up to you if you wanna believe it or not.”

“Yeah, we believe you!” Luffy assured quickly, getting a smack from Usopp.

“Geez, you’re fast!”

“There’s a strange phenomenon that occurs in these waters. Sometimes, it’ll turn to night, even though it’s the middle of the day.”

“Yeah, we’re aware of that.” Hikari drawled, Gina crouching to pat Chopper’s back when he whimpered at the memory.

“Yeah!” Their sniper agreed, a bit pale. “Night came, and then some monsters appeared!”

“The giants? There’s a story about where they come from, but forget ‘em for now. This sudden nightfall...It’s caused by the shadows of extremely compact clouds.”

“You mean cumulonimbus clouds?” Nami clarified, brow furrowing. “But it was too dark to be clouds…”

“Wow! You’re so dumb, old guy!”

SMACK!

“Idiots don’t get a say in who’s dumb or not.” The pinkette scolded, glaring at Zoro’s chuckle. “Don’t get me started, Roronoa.”

“Oi!”

“There are clouds known as cumuloregalis clouds.” Cricket clarified, amused at the byplay. “They pile high into the sky, but produce no air currents or rain. When they appear high in the sky, even sunlight is blocked out, bringing afternoon ‘nighttime’ to the ground. One theory has it that cumuloregalis clouds are fossilized clouds that have floated in the sky for thousands and thousands of years.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Their navigator immediately objected. “Clouds with no air currents even after building up?!”

“Like an island full of dinosaurs?” Hikari reminded her, Gina biting on a snicker.

“Or islands caught in winter or summer or spring?”

“You’re free to believe they can’t exist.” Cricket replied as the chastened redhead sat back down. “I’m not asking you to believe me.”

“They’re mystery clouds, then?”

BAM!

“Pretty much.” The diver accepted as Luffy dragged himself off the ground. “There’s still no explanation for them. Listen, if a Sky Island really does exist, that’d be the only place.”

“Okay! Gotcha!” The rubber boy cheered, bouncing back as always. “Let’s go above those clouds! Get ready, everyone! Cloud rudder full!”

“We’re missing the part where he tells us _how to actually get there_.” Hikari hissed, Zoro yanking him back down to sit so their host could continue.

“Now comes the real problem. Let me start by saying this...Put your lives on the line! The Knock-Up Stream is a current that shoots into the air. You can theoretically take it into the sky. Understand?”

“It’s a current that can send ships flying, right?” Nami confirmed, frowning, but Luffy just grinned.

“Then it just needs to send us above the clouds!”

“And crashing right back down.” Gina deadpanned.

“We’d have to get on when the clouds are there.” Zoro agreed, dragging a squirming Luffy onto his lap and snickering when a protesting Hikari was pulled along.

“The key is timing.” Cricket advised, putting out his cigarette on the stump. “It’s easy to talk about being sent up the current, but it’s not gonna be as nice a trip as you guys think. The Knock-Up Stream is a natural disaster. It’s something that should normally be avoided.”

“How does it rise into the sky like that?” Chopper questioned, awed at the idea.

“Naturally, we can only guess as to how that monstrous current works. No one’s dumb enough to jump in and find out, after all. The accepted theory goes like this: Deep beneath the ocean floor, there are large cavities, and low-temperature sea water seeps into them. The heat from the earth below turns that water into steam, and the resulting pressure causes an explosion on the sea floor. One big enough to send the sea flying and create a current into the sky! For about one minute, the sea continues to rise into the sky.”

“One minute?!” Sanji parroted, nearly losing his own cigarette.

“The explosions change location each time, and occur five times a month.”

“Five times a month?” Gina repeated, taken aback. “Hell of an explosion to happen pretty much every week!”

“But, you know, describing a grand natural phenomenon with words and logic is foolish.” Cricket agreed, sitting back as Usopp gulped.

“So, basically, we gotta ride this current that only appears five times a month and hope the Sky Island shows up?”

“Yeah, and if you miss, you’ll fall back down, slam into the ocean...and then you’ll end up at the bottom of the sea.”

…

“Alright, let’s give up on the Sky Island!”

Their captain just laughed, squeezing a resigned Hikari, but Usopp could only follow along for a moment before cracking.

“It’s impossible! You gotta have the luckiest luck that ever lucked to make it there!”

“We’ll be fine!” Luffy assured with a blinding grin. “Let’s go!”

“Have you _seen_ the Merry?” Gina cautioned, eyeing the patches that had been put on the hull. “It can’t take much more abuse, let alone getting dropped like that.”

“That’s true.” Cricket noted, assessing their ship. “Even in mint condition, that ship wouldn’t stand a chance. Speed, weight, strength...That boat’d be blasted apart in the explosion.”

Usopp was riled by this frank assessment, but subsided unhappily, holding to his argument.

“See! It really is impossible!”

“But don’t you worry about that.” Their host assured, rising. “I’ll have Masira and Shojo help take you there. Only after we strengthen your ship, of course.”

“How long will that take?” Hikari wondered, calculating. “We only have another day before the Log Pose resets.”

“We won’t make it in time!” Usopp claimed with false cheer. “Seriously, old man! You’re not a psychic! I doubt you know, but how many days will it be until the Knock-Up Stream and the cumuloregalis clouds line up? No, no! How many months? No, how many years?!”

“Tomorrow afternoon.” Was the easy reply, deflating their sniper immediately. “If you’re going, you’d better get ready.”

“We can’t make it in that time!”

“Oh? If you don’t like it, then just quit.”

“You’re lying!”

Even Momoo went quiet, sensing the growing tension as Usopp squared up against the much-larger Cricket.

“This isn’t right! We just met you today! Aren’t you being _too_ nice?! Plus, tomorrow just _happens_ to be the perfect chance to go to this legendary, unknown Sky Island?! And you’ll help strengthen our ship and take us there?! That’s way too convenient! What exactly are you scheming?! Plus, you’re Noland The Liar’s descendant! We can’t trust you!”

This last caused a snarl that cut right through his righteous fury, Zoro squeezing tight on their key-holder’s hips as Luffy wrapped his limbs again around her torso.

“Old-Timer! Dinner’s ready!” Masira and Shojo chorused, Sanji squeezing out of the house past them and pausing at the unexpected scene.

“What? Are you gonna fight?!”

“Whenever ‘midday night’ is confirmed in Masira’s turf, cumuloregalis clouds appear in the southern skies the next day.” Cricket stated calmly, holding the sharpshooter’s gaze. “And judging from its five-per-month rate, the Knock-Up Stream will probably be active tomorrow. It’ll happen somewhere south of here. It’s not a hundred-percent certainty, but there’s a good chance it’ll be tomorrow.”

When no one spoke up, he continued plainly.

“I’m glad to have met fools like you. Now, let’s go and have some food. Take it easy at my place today, comrades.”

Taking a deep breath as Luffy Gum Gum Rocketed off with a startled Zoro in tow to fill his belly with the others, Hikari approached their slumped sniper, dropping a hand on his shoulder.

“Being brave isn’t about not being afraid.” She advised, a rueful smile spreading across her face. “It’s about facing your fears when you have the chance to run away. And from where I’m standing, you’re a hell of a lot braver than I am.”

Usopp stared for a long moment before beginning to blubber, nearly knocking the pinkette over in a hug.

“H-Hey, don’t cry! Come on! Usopp!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like all pirates, the Saruyama Alliance knew how to cut loose.

Bottles of wine and whiskey and rum were opened as platters of delicious foods were passed around for everyone to sample, all with help from Robin’s blooming hands even as she sat aside reading through Noland’s logbooks.

Spirits stayed high well into the night, even when Usopp began playing pranks with his Tabasco Stars, and the alcohol seemed to brighten Cricket’s dreams while loosening his tongue.

“I saw gold in the skull’s right eye!” He recited from memory, immediately catching Nami’s attention as Robin lifted her head from the book. “That tear-soaked sentence was the last thing Noland wrote. I saw gold in the skull’s right eye...Noland was executed that same day. Even after coming to Jaya, those words make no sense at all. The skull’s right eye...Is it referring to the name of a city that once existed? Or was it an allusion to his own death? The blank pages that follow say nothing...So that’s why we dive! We have a dream! On the sea floor!”

“That’s right!” Masira cheered, Zoro touching glasses with Hikari as Luffy swallowed his most recent mouthful.

“We’re gonna fly!”

“Not if you keep eating.” Gina teased, Chopper and Lassoo laughing as their captain turned with full cheeks to pout.

But Cricket was in the mood to share stories, and everyone crowded around as the sniggers died down.

“The day I arrived on Jaya. Entry for May 21, 1122. Upon landing on the island, we heard strange bird calls and the sound of a very large bell coming from the forest. The sound from that huge gold bell resonated far and wide, almost as if showing off the prosperity of a city long past! We thought we knew everything after living for a few decades, but experiencing the transience of this civilization that flourished for a long time on the wide open sea left us speechless! The sound of the bell had us stopped in our tracks!”

“Noland’s so cool!” Chopper cheered, falling onto a sprawled Lassoo in a fit of giggles as Nami lit up.

“Wow! A giant gold bell!”

“Look at this!” Cricket called, unwrapping a small gold bell from soft cloth, and Gina straightened in surprise.

“That’s real gold!”

“You can tell that?” Their navigator wondered, and she shrugged.

“Different metals, different scents.”

“These are bell-shaped ingots.” The diver explained, finishing off his rum. “We found these three on the ocean floor.”

“You could find that much gold in any old ruins.” Shojo pointed out, righting himself from an alcoholic sprawl. “But it _does_ prove that there was a civilization in this area.”

“Ingots are made to have standardized weights.” Robin agreed, sipping at a glass of wine. “Which means they were used for trade.”

“Yes.” Cricket confirmed, grabbing another wrapped object. “And the strange bird calls mentioned before that…”

A much larger statue was revealed to the crews’ amazement, this one in the shape of a crested bird holding a small bell.

“Gold bells and a bird…” Sanji mused, sitting back. “Do you suppose they were symbols of old Jaya?”

“Dunno, but I think they were part of some sort of model. This here’s a South Bird, and they still exist on this island!”

“Do they have weird calls?” Luffy wondered, flopping across Hikari’s lap while chewing on a ham bone.

“Yep, just like the logbook says!” Cricket confirmed, and the key-holder perked up.

“Oh! I know about them! They’re a strange bird that’s beak always points south, no matter what!”

The three divers froze, as if something had just occurred to them.

“OH CRAP!!!”

“This is bad!” Cricket cursed, nice buzz evaporating. “You guys! Go into the forest! The southern forest! Go catch this bird! Right now!”

…

The key-holder dissolved into helpless laughter, leaning into Zoro’s side for support as the startled divers stared.

“Yare yare, it’s fine! We don’t need a South Bird!” The pinkette managed to giggle out, pulling a silver key from her hip. “Open, Gate of the Compass! PYXIS!”

The penguin-Spirit shook out his feathers, blinking up at the confused pirates before turning to his key-holder.

“Hime?”

“Pyxis, you’re just the Spirit we’re going to need tomorrow.” Hikari assured, pulling him into her lap as realization started to light up her fellows’ faces. “You’re going to take us south to the Knock-Up Stream and get us to the Sky Island!”

“That’s right!” Nami squealed, relieved that they would not be going into the forest so late at night. “Pyxis is an infallible compass!”

“Ah, that’s good.” Cricket agreed, relaxing with a laugh. “I heard that there were all sorts of Celestial Spirits, but none like that!”

“You’re the best, Pyxis!” Chopper claimed, hugging the stunned Spirit as fresh bottles were opened.

“To the Sky Island!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bellies full, the Straw Hats joined the Saruyama Alliance in fixing up the Going Merry for her maiden voyage into the clouds.

Momoo was happy to help Aquarius in taking sheets of metal down to reinforce the hull, and Gina morphed her hands into hammers and drills and saws, shaping metal and securing pieces to the frame, much to the monkey-crews’ amazement.

Chopper took on his Heavy Point to help load up a wagon with fresh boards and tools for Lassoo to cart around, and Hikari flew up the mast to check for damage, light pulsing off her skin and scales to help everyone see by.

With her Devil’s Fruit, Robin helped holding patches and such in place for others to secure, and Zoro sat on the starboard railing, hammering the base of a wing securely in place while Sanji worked on the other, both grumbling about how much the other was messing up.

Nami was keeping Luffy in her sights, making sure he was careful with the rear air-rudder he and Usopp were working on, while delegating tasks to the other pirates in fixing the damage Shojo had done to the deck.

Spirits were high for the late hour, everyone laughing and getting along-

Until some unwanted guests arrived.

“Give us your gold.” Bellamy demanded, face still bruised from where he hit the floor only hours ago, and Hikari scoffed as Luffy and Zoro went predatorily still.

“Or what, you’ll bleed all over us?”

“No, Kari.” The rubber boy voiced, stepping forward. “He’s mine.”

Frowning, she shrugged in acceptance, and Bellamy smirked, clearly thinking he was facing a much weaker opponent.

“I just heard the rumors about you. Treasure someone else struggled to get has a special flavor all its own! Are you going to try and stop me?”

“Yeah.” Luffy answered simply, and Bellamy cackled as the Straw Hats and Saruyama Alliance regrouped to watch.

“I hate to ask, but can you fight?! Do you know how to throw a punch?! What can a coward like you possibly do?!”

The other captain’s shins turned into springs, rocketing him through the air in a near blur, and Zoro stoically watched him zig-zag off the trees and the house the ground while Luffy failed to so much as twitch.

“You’re a clan of natural-born morons who believe in a fish story told by some guy four hundred years ago! A city of gold?! A Sky Island?! The era of dreams is over, you pathetic excuses for pirates!”

Luffy’s expression darkened as encouragement came from the other’s crew, his path altering sharply.

“Do I know how to throw a punch?”

And without a single snap of rubber, put Bellamy down.

 _Hard_.

“Hey…” Sarquiss called, disbelieving. “Quit kidding around, Bellamy...C’mon! You’re just joking, right? Say something!”

“We don’t have time for this.” Hikari sighed, the Bellamy Pirates going pale as Aquarius and Momoo rose from the water like vengeful apparitions. “Do you mind?”

The mermaid-Spirit smirked, raising her urn as Momoo snarled, fangs bared.

“Not at all, hime.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn arrived to find the Going Merry decked out like a Viking ship of old, a helmet guarding the figurehead’s horns and wooden wings spreading out on either side in preparation for flight, and the Straw Hats grinned proudly.

“Alright, let’s set sail!” Usopp cheered, throwing an arm around Gina’s shoulders to shake her. “Ready, men?”

“Aye aye, sir!” The Saruyama Alliance roared back, striking their signature poses before boarding their own ships with Masira and Shojo.

“Thanks for the ship!” Luffy called, earning smiles from their new friends.

“We’ll lead the way, so follow us!” Masira assured, throwing a thumb’s-up.

“Saruyama Alliance!” Cricket boomed, catching all of their attention. “Don’t screw up now! No matter _what_ happens, give everything you got for them!”

“Yeah!”

“It’s time to set sail, guys!” Nami ordered, and Hikari nodded as Pyxis hopped onto the bow, almost trembling with joy.

“Point us south, Pyxis!”

The needle on his compass spun before stopping, both wings pointing true south, and this strange collaboration set off.

At least until…

“Bad news, boss!”

“What’s wrong?!” Masira demanded of his subordinates.

“Night’s coming from the southwest! Cumuloregalis clouds!”

“Shit, that’s early.” Gina cursed, eyeing the wall of darkness ahead.

“Utan divers! Into the sea immediately!” Shojo ordered, mobilizing his own men. “Look for currents!”

The wetsuit-divers splashing down, listening to their captain’s subsonic call, and Nami bit on her thumb, waiting…

“Reflected sound detected! Large current at twelve o’clock!”

“Large creature detected at nine o’clock! Appearsto be a Sea King!”

“Waves going against the current detected at ten o’clock! I believe it’s a giant whirlpool!”

“That’s it!” Masira shouted, pointing. “Head the ship in the ten o’clock direction!”

“Should we be heading _towards_ a whirlpool?” Usopp sputtered, and Zoro shrugged.

“Should we be heading towards a Knock-Up Stream?”

The ocean swelled underneath them, nearly capsizing Merry, and Hikari caught Pyxis with a curse as Momoo rose in his harness to try steadying them.

“We’re here!”

“It’s a pre-explosion earthquake!” Masira warned, voice carrying over the frothing water as Gina caught a tumbling Chopper, Lassoo clinging to her legs.

“Navigator-san, what does the Log Pose say?” Robin asked as spray came up on either side, slicking the floorboards with salt.

“It’s pointing right at those clouds!”

“Then that’s where we’re going!” Luffy cheered, stars in his eyes even as Hikari and Zoro grabbed hold to keep their anchor from being swept overboard.

“The wind’s direction is perfect, too!” Nami realized, starting to smile as she grabbed onto Usopp for support. “The clouds are heading straight for the center of the whirlpool!”

“We’ll take you to the inner edge of the whirlpool!” Masira assured, crew rushing about.

“What do we do after that?!” Their navigator called back as Momoo shouldered the Going Merry back on course.

“Get on the flow! If you can get to the center, things should work out!”

“That sounds like the _opposite_ of what you do with a whirlpool!” Usopp sputtered, sweating now as Pyxis returned through his Gate and Hikari whipped out a gold key. “We’re getting sucked in!”

“Nobody said anything about being sucked in!” Nami protested, latching onto the pinkette alongside Usopp, which earned them an amused glance.

“You really should have expected something like this.”

“It’s alright!” Sanji assured, noodling over. “I’ll protect you and Hikari-hime and Robin-chan!”

“I’ve never seen such a large whirlpool before…” Said archaeologist noted, leaning on a wall for support as Zoro threaded an arm through the railing, holding a starry-eyed Luffy close as Hikari boxed him in.

“Just accept it, Usopp! It’s too late! Someone else is already excited!”

“LET’S GO!” Said captain cheered, almost climbing their key-holder. “SKY ISLAND!”

A Sea King burst from the darkness on their starboard side, easily swept away by the current, and Hikari sighed as both skittish crew-mates were suddenly perched on her shoulders like trembling parrots.

“Let’s go back, Luffy! We can still make it! Isn’t it obvious? Just this whirlpool is enough to kill us! The Sky Island’s just a dream within a dream!”

“A dream within a dream?”

“Yes, Luffy!” Nami pleaded, latching onto what she thought was sanity. “I don’t think we can do this, either!”

“An island in a dream within a dream!” Luffy voiced, beaming bright enough to mimic sunshine. “I’ll regret it for life if I pass up such a big adventure!”

By now, they were far too late anyway, Momoo, Chopper and Lassoo shrieking as the Going Merry caught air over the dark abyss-

And landed on calm water.

“What?” Sanji voiced, looking every which way. “It disappeared? How come?”

“That whirlpool was huge, too!” Usopp agreed, nearly shaking Hikari into the railing as his head turned. “What’s going on?”

“It didn’t disappear.” Gina warned, eyes going wide as iron spikes secured her to the deck.

“No!” Nami agreed, clinging tighter. “It’s already started! The whirlpool only disappeared from the surface!”

“HOLD IT!”

Everyone froze, heads turning to take in the massive, sailed raft heading their way, a three-headed skull-and-crossbones emblazoned on the black flag.

“I caught up to you, Straw Hat Luffy!” The black-haired, gap-toothed man from Mock Town claimed happily. “I’m here to collect on your hundred million bounty! Prepare yourself!”

“My bounty?” Luffy parroted, confused. “What do you mean, a hundred million?”

“So you _don’t_ know!” They newest attacker realized, holding up three wanted posters. “There’s a hundred million beli bounty on your head! And Pirate Hunter Zoro! Dragon Princess Dragneel! You’re both worth sixty million!”

“It’s true!” Usopp confirmed, adjusting his goggles. “He has new wanted posters! Zoro, Kari, you have bounties now!”

“What?” The key-holder choked out as her boyfriends lit up. “What picture’s on mine?!”

“It’s from when you scared the armies at Alubarna!” The sniper replied, impressed. “It’s really cool, actually, they got a good angle on your horns!”

Hikari deflated on a relieved sigh as Zoro nudged her, smirking.

“Sixty million, huh? How disappointing for both of us.”

“You didn’t just get ‘princess’ as your epithet.” She shot back, unable to help a smile as Luffy threw up both arms victoriously.

“A hundred million! Did you hear that? A hundred million!”

Then the water shifted underneath them with a gurgle, and Momoo dove into his net-bed with a squeak.

“I heard _that_.” Hikari voiced, pulling Usopp and Nami into their combined hold as Gina dropped onto all fours, wrapped around Chopper and Lassoo with her claws knuckle-deep in the deck. “HOLD ON!”

The swell rapidly rose, lifting them up miles into the air-

BOOM!

And they were rocketing up on a pillar of rising water, Luffy hooting and hollering.

“This is neat! Alright! Now we can go into the sky! Go, Merry!”

“Hold on!” Sanji warned, pressed into a railing. “I don’t think it’s gonna be that easy! The hull’s starting to float! If this keeps up, we’re gonna get sent flying to our doom!”

“How are we supposed to stop that?” Gina ground out, nearly gnashing her fangs. “We’re barely holding on as it is!”

A Sea King fell past them, back towards the sea below, and Hikari watched it go for a moment.

“Well, we’d better figure it out fast, unless our plan is to land on him.”

“We’re goners, too!” Usopp wailed as Momoo cried out from below, struggling to keep a grip on the current. “We’re gonna fall and slam into the ocean and die!”

“Spread the sails! Right away!”

This sudden order from their navigator cut off even Usopp’s panic, and she grinned.

“This is the sea! Not just a pillar of water! It’s a rising current! And the wind blowing from below is a rising air current produced by the geothermal heat and steam explosion! If we’re dealing with wind and sea, I can navigate it! Who’s this ship’s navigator?!”

“You are, Nami-san!” Sanji immediately answered, heart-eye pulsing.

“Alright, then do it!” Hikari ordered, pushing off the railing to slide down and unknot the rigging.

“Catch the starboard wind and pull the helm to point!” Nami instructed once the sail unfurled, Chopper peering out around Gina’s bulk at Momoo’s whine.

“Oh no! The ship is about to leave the water!”

“No, we can make it!”

And the Going Merry took flight.


	19. Skypiea Arc: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> And we begin Skypiea! I honestly didn't think I'd be getting through these chapters so fast, but that's what quarantine will do, I guess. Part Two is already done, getting started with Part Three, so I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Stay safe!  
> DragonPrincess18

The air was so heavy with moisture that it soaked through Chopper’s fur in minutes, heavy as molasses in the lungs, the Going Merry bursting out the other side like a rubber duck must after being held underwater in a bathtub. 

Wood splintered as the wings gave way, the ship landing hard and jarring the crew back onto a horizontal plane, and Hikari coughed on the thin air for a moment before unfiltered sunlight filled her veins like bubbling champagne. 

“Everybody okay?” She voiced, pressing a hand to Gina’s shoulder as Lassoo rolled away to shake himself dry. 

“Yeah…” Chopper answered, tipping his hat to get water off the brim, as Zoro propped himself up with a grunt, Luffy hanging off his arm like a koala. 

“Is everybody here?” 

“Looks like it.” Gina noted, mentally counting as she glanced over the crew. 

“Hey, guys!” Their captain called, clambering up his swordsman’s head and ignoring the resulting protests. “Look outside the ship!” 

Staggering to her feet, Hikari brushed back her sodden ponytail and blinked, stunned, at the sea of white fluff that stretched out on every side towards a hazy horizon. 

“Holy shit…” 

“Clouds?” Chopper realized, peeking through the railing while Lassoo kept a grip on his horn. 

“We’re in the clouds?” Nami voiced, finding her own legs a bit shaky. “How are we staying on them?!” 

“Of course we can stay on them! They’re clouds!” Luffy replied, as if that made any sense at all, earning disbelieving looks from Hikari, Zoro, Sanji and Chopper. 

“No, you can’t.” 

“Momoo!” 

The Going Merry rocked moments before the sea-cow surfaced, flippers working double-time to keep him afloat before Momoo collapsed over the bow, panting. 

“Are you okay?” Hikari fussed, cradling his large pink nose and petting slick, spotted hide as Usopp was jolted awake from the noise. 

“Clouds? These are clouds! No, there’s too many! What is this?!” 

“Looks like a sky-ocean.” Gina pointed out, their navigator frowning at the needle and glass on her wrist. 

“But look, the Log Pose is still pointing upward.” 

“It seems we’re in the middle section of the cumuloregalis clouds.” Robin hypothesized, taking in the brighter white sky still overhead. 

“So we need to go higher.” Hikari summarized, Chopper peeking over Lassoo’s head from his perch on the dog-gun’s shoulders. 

“How do we do that?” 

“That, I don’t know.” The archaeologist replied calmly, not even batting an eye when Usopp leaped onto the railing. 

“In Swimming Lane Number One, Captain Usopp!” 

“You can do it!” Luffy cheered, their doctor joining in enthusiastically. 

“Good luck!” 

“What are you doing?” Hikari scolded, glancing over from where she was trying to soothe a panicking Momoo. “This is still an ocean! You don’t know what’s in there!” 

“An ocean’s an ocean!” Usopp brushed off, throwing his shirt aside before diving overboard. 

“Awesome!” 

“He’s so brave!” 

“He’s an _idiot_!” The pinkette growled, wings unfurling from her back as she ran over. 

“What do you mean?” Chopper wondered, squeaking when the key-holder jumped over the railing past him. 

“SINCE WHEN DO CLOUDS HAVE A BOTTOM!?!” 

… 

“...Oh.” 

The Going Merry rocked violently, Momoo squealing, as Hikari resurfaced with a pale-faced Usopp and a horde of massive tentacles and a mouthful of sharp teeth close behind. 

“Back off!” She snarled out, twisting around as starlight streamed off her fists. “Celestial Dragon’s Whip!” 

Even _she_ was surprised at how bright the ribbon was, just this side of blinding, as it snapped out and popped through the strange octopus and eel-like fish like a pin through balloons. 

“Whoa!” Luffy giggled, blinking starbursts from his eyes as the pinkette set down a catatonic Usopp on the deck. “That was so cool, Kari!” 

“I didn’t mean for it to be that much.” Hikari admitted, fingers flexing before she shook sparks off her shoulders. “Been feeling jittery since getting up here.” 

“Really, Hikari-hime?” Sanji voiced, frowning. “It sure is hard to breathe up here…” 

“I feel fine.” She replied, brow quirking at Zoro’s grunt of agreement and Luffy’s tongue-hanging pants. 

“It makes sense.” Robin mused, a faint smile forming. “Hikari-san is a Celestial Dragon, correct? So she can gain extra energy by either passively absorbing light through her skin or actively breathing it in. With so many clouds out of the way, she’s naturally absorbing far more than usual.” 

“Lucky…” Gina muttered, annoyed at the tightness in her chest as she grabbed a limp tentacle off the railing. “Shit, this is super light!” 

“It’s like a balloon.” Chopper agreed, poking at the suckers while Lassoo sniffed curiously. 

“It’s definitely an animal.” Zoro noted, rolling his shoulders. “It was moving.” 

“To live in clouds, they’d have to evolve to be extremely buoyant.” Hikari reasoned, gesturing to their sea-cow as her wings fell away into stardust. “Just look at Momoo. He’s working double-time just to stay afloat! Go on, sweetie, get into your bed.” 

Sniffling thanks, the large creature dove to do just that moments before Usopp rose with a shudder and a screech, fishing around in his pants. 

“OI!” Gina growled, covering Chopper’s eyes. “Time and place!” 

“My pants! There was something in them!” 

Hikari caught the strange, flat, feather-scaled fish that went flying as the sniper fell back in a dead faint, Luffy scrabbling up her back for a better look. 

“These are sky-fish.” Robin realized, carefully taking said creature for a closer inspection. “The odd fish described in Noland’s logbook.” 

“So they turned all balloon-like and flat and stuff?” Zoro wondered, and the pinkette nodded. 

“The clouds act like water a bit, but they’re nowhere near as dense. Usopp sank like he ate a Devil’s Fruit, so it’s no wonder that the sea life here adapted to be light so they could float.” 

“They have scales like feathers, and weird carnivore-like mouths…” Nami noted, pulling back when Luffy grabbed the fish with a grin to present to Sanji, Hikari shrugging. 

“There aren’t exactly _plants_ down there.” 

“I tried sautéing it.” The cook voiced, their captain already popping a piece of said sky-fish into his mouth with glee as Nami snapped. 

“We’re still investigating it! What’re you guys thinking-Oh, it really is good! What is this? I’ve never had anything like it!” 

“Is it to your liking, Nami-san?” 

Gina rolled her eyes, elbows on the railing next to where Lassoo had propped himself up, Chopper sitting on his head and looking over the cloud-sea with a pair of binoculars. 

“Oh, a ship…” 

Head turning to follow his line of sight, the younger dragon squinted at a faint dark blot in the whiteness, tuning out the commentary behind them as Lassoo’s ears perked forward. 

“A ship! Hey, guys! A ship...and a person?” 

A strange, muffled boom had the dog-gun’s hackles rising in a snarl, Gina lurching fully upright as iron scales surged over her entire body. 

“What was that?” Hikari demanded, starlight sparking off her skin and eyes reptilian gold, as the reindeer doctor began to flail. 

“There was a ship, but not anymore! And there’s a bull, and it’s running straight here, it’s on-” 

“You’re not making sense.” Zoro cut in, steady. “Calm down.” 

“What’s wrong with you?” Sanji agreed, cigarette rolling between his teeth, and Gina _growled_. 

“ _That_.” 

_ That _ proved to be a figure speeding over the cloud-sea directly towards the Merry, bare-chested and with only a massive wooden mask and some sort of kilt-like covering as clothing, a shield in one hand and what looked very much like a bazooka in the other. 

“He’s running on the clouds!” Chopper squeaked, toppling back onto the deck as Lassoo bared his fangs. 

“Hey, stop!” Zoro ordered, Wado clicking from its scabbard. “What do you want?” 

“To eliminate you!” 

The Iron Dragon crossed her arms to absorb the full brunt of his flying kick, skidding back a few feet with a snarl before both shifted into swords. 

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Karmic Cross!” 

Flipping backwards before being neatly truncated, their attacker kicked Sanji away and knocked his other skate-wearing foot into Zoro’s jaw as he lunged- 

“GET OFF OUR SHIP!” Hikari roared, slamming an Iron Fist into the man’s mask and sending him back over the railing like one of Usopp’s pellets. 

Righting himself, the man levelled his bazooka and- 

“That is far enough!” 

A lance intercepted, forcing the firearm to be used as a makeshift shield instead, and Nami almost choked at the old, armor-clad knight that landed on the railing, his giant pink, polka-dotted bird circling around. 

“What? Who’s this now?!” 

“I am the Sky Knight.” He introduced himself, glancing out into the cloud-sea. “He’s gone.” 

“What the heck’s going on?” Their navigator demanded, the sudden attack fully registering in her brain. “Who was that?! And what’s with you guys?! You’re pathetic, losing two against one!” 

“Hey, are you alright?” Hikari worried, fingers passing over the growing bruise on Zoro’s jaw as he panted. 

“Feel sluggish…” 

“Man, talk about being worthless…” Sanji grit out, annoyed at how quickly he had been knocked out of the fight. 

“I can’t move well, for some reason…” Luffy whined, sprawling in a boneless heap over Hikari’s back, Gina dropping onto a nearby barrel with a grunt. 

“Feel like I ran laps around Alabasta…” 

“It must be because of the thin air.” Robin hypothesized, tapping her chin. “Hikari-san doesn’t feel the effects because she’s taking in so much extra energy.” 

“Are you Blue Sea People?” The Sky Knight wondered, brushing off Chopper’s effusive thanks. 

“Blue Sea people?” Nami echoed, perking up. “What’s that? Oh, yeah! Who are you?!” 

“I am the Sky Knight. ‘Blue Sea people’ is the term for those who live beneath the clouds.” The old man explained, running a hand through his long white beard. “In other words, did you come up here from the blue seas?” 

“Yeah, that’s right!” Luffy answered, regaining his breath and perching on Hikari’s shoulders. 

“Then that explains it. This is the White Sea, seven thousand meters in the air. The White-White Sea even further above reaches ten thousand meters high. Ordinary Blue Sea people can’t possibly endure it here.” 

“Alright, I’ve gotten used to it!” The rubber boy claimed, knocking a hand against his chest, and Zoro straightened with a smirk. 

“Yeah, I feel much better now.” 

“Only you boys.” Hikari grumbled good-naturedly, seeing Sanji rise and light a cigarette. 

“Anyway, why was that guy speeding on top of the clouds?” Chopper wondered, flopping between Lassoo’s ears. 

“Now, now. Hold on.” The Sky Knight replied, taking a seat on the railing. “I’m sure you have many questions, but let’s talk business first. I am a freelance soldier-for-hire. These seas are fraught with danger. If you don’t know how to fight in the sky, guerrillas like that one will come after you and turn you into food for the sky-fish. For a five-million extol One Whistle, I will help you.” 

… 

“What’re you talking about, old guy?” Luffy wondered, head cocking like a confused pup. 

“What? That is quite cheap! I won’t lower it a single extol more! I need to earn a living too, you know!” 

“What in the world is ‘extol’?” Sanji voiced, cutting in before their captain could say more. “And what’s this ‘whistle’ or whatever?” 

“You came here via the summit of High-West, did you not?” The old knight wondered, clearly bewildered. “Then you must’ve passed an island or two.” 

“Again, what’re you talking about, old guy?” Luffy grumbled, and Hikari sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. 

“Are you saying there was another way up here?” 

“Does that mean there are lots of sky-islands?!” Nami realized, jaw dropping. 

“Don’t tell me you came here via the…” 

“The giant geyser of doom.” Gina drawled, Robin covering her smile. 

“We rode the Knock-Up Stream.” 

“My word! That monstrous current?! So there still _are_ people gutsy enough for that…” 

“It wasn’t a normal route after all…” Their navigator lamented, turning on Luffy in a fury. “We could’ve died, you know! We could’ve done it more safely if we had gathered more information!” 

“What does it matter now?” He wondered, chin dropping onto pink curls. “We’re already here.” 

“I wouldn’t say Usopp’s with us.” The pinkette deadpanned, jerking a thumb towards said comatose sniper as he muttered “Sky-islands scary,” over and over. 

“Did you lose any of your crew?” The Sky Knight wondered, and Luffy glanced around before shaking his head. 

“No, we’re all here.” 

“That wouldn’t have been the case with any other route. A hundred people head into the sky, a few arrive, and someone survives. That is the gamble. But with the Knock-Up Stream, everyone dies or everyone arrives. That’s it. Not many can make that all-or-nothing bet, especially these days. I now see that you are capable navigators with courage and skill.” 

“I would call it stupidity and luck, but that works.” Hikari snarked, Zoro turning to her with a glare. 

“Oi!” 

“Yes, I must admit it was only because I was here!” Usopp claimed, suddenly alert and on his feet. “While these guys were on their knees crying and giving up on life, I told them ‘I will navigate us’-” 

Nami grabbed him harshly by the ear, unamused. 

“Hold on.” 

“One blow of this One Whistle, and I shall come to your aid!” The Sky Knight promised, dropping said whistle into Chopper’s hooves as he stood. “Normally, I would charge five million extol, but I will give you the One Whistle as a present.” 

“Wait! We still don’t know your name!” Nami protested, tossing Usopp aside at seeing the man prepare to leave. 

“I am Gan Fall, the Sky Knight, and this is my partner, Pierre.” 

The strange bird squawked a greeting, starting to shift shape before their eyes. 

“I forgot to mention it, but my partner Pierre is a bird that ate a Horse-Horse Fruit and gained its powers. In short, he’s a horse with wings! Namely…” 

“No way! Wow!” Nami squealed, stars in her eyes. “A pegas-” 

The crew could only stare at the unsightly monstrosity now before them once the transformation was complete, all excitement gone. 

“That’s just sad.” Gina decided, Hikari shaking her head in disbelief. 

“I’d never use my Devil’s Fruit if I turned into something like _that_.” 

“May luck be with you, warriors!” 

… 

“In the end, he didn’t tell us anything.” Robin pointed out once the knight and his steed had flown off, Usopp scowling. 

“You’re right! Nothing at all!” 

“Now we’re back to square one.” Sanji grumbled, lighting a cigarette to work out some frustration. 

“How do we get up there?” Zoro reminded them, glancing upward, and Luffy grinned. 

“I know! Let’s call that old guy and ask!” 

“HOLD ON, LUFFY!!!” Nami screeched, tossing a startled Chopper towards Gina before the whistle could be grabbed by greedy rubber fingers. “This is only supposed to be used in emergencies!” 

“What if that weird masked guy shows up again?!” Usopp panicked, grabbing onto Hikari’s arm, and she sighed. 

“No one ever notices all the shit I do around here…” 

“For now, let’s take our ship somewhere.” Zoro suggested, patting her damp ponytail as Luffy giggled. 

“Hey, look over there!” Chopper shouted, Lassoo propping himself up on the starboard railing so the reindeer could point. “Isn’t that a weird cloud?” 

“It also looks like a waterfall.” Robin agreed, drawing the crew around to take in what, indeed, looked like a massive white waterfall in the distance. 

“Alright, it’s decided. Let’s check it out.” Zoro stated, and Luffy snapped himself up on the mast to help adjust the sails so they caught what wind there was so high up. 

Momoo sniffled from below as he helped turn the Merry, practically blind as he was in the clouds, and Hikari sat at the railing to pat a flipper when it was offered, cooing praise. 

“Poor baby, it’s okay, nothing’s gonna hurt you…” 

“Wait!” Nami called as new cloud formations rose in their path. “Stop! Stop!” 

“What do we do?” Chopper wondered, and Gina shrugged, eyeing the sturdier fluff. 

“We could try going through them.” 

“They’re floating in the sky-ocean, so they can’t be ocean, too.” Sanji reasoned, blowing out a stream of smoke. 

“Then what kind of clouds are they?” Usopp mused, chin in hand. 

“If they were ordinary clouds, they’d keep moving forward…” Nami muttered, and Hikari turned her head with a snort. 

“We’re literally on a _sea of clouds_ , so ordinary cloud behavior would be pretty surprising. Maybe this is what sky-islands are made of.” 

“Let’s touch one and find out!” Luffy decided, winding up. “Gum Gum Pistol!” 

His fist rebounded off like a rubber bouncy ball, and he practically sparkled with glee before leaping out to bounce across the cloud. 

“Look! I’m on it! I’m not sinking! It’s all fluffy, like cotton! What is this? What is this? It’s too fun!” 

“Ten beli he rolls off and starts drowning.” Hikari deadpanned, and Gina scoffed, unable to help a smirk. 

“Sucker bet. Twenty beli he rolls off in the next five minutes.” 

“Me, too! I’m coming, too!” Usopp shouted, and Chopper joined them in bouncing across the firmer clouds, laughing and daring each other to go higher. 

“But this means the ship can’t go through places filled with these.” Nami reasoned, and Hikari stood with a shrug. 

“Can’t sail through islands, either. Oi! Find a way around!” 

“Okay!” Luffy called back, before Usopp caught their attention. 

“Hey, Luffy! There’s something over here!” 

“What is it? What is it?” 

“It’s a gate!” 

“A gate?” Nami parroted as the trio returned, their captain nodding. 

“Yeah! There’s a big gate under that waterfall-thingy!” 

“There are manmade objects in a place like this?” Sanji realized, and Gina waved the thought off. 

“Just saw a guy in armor. Not like everything can be made of clouds and teeth.” 

“There could be anything in this ocean and it wouldn’t be surprising.” Robin agreed calmly as the others tumbled back onto the Merry’s deck. 

“We’ll find out what it is after we get through here!” 

Luckily, there was a winding sort of path between the hills of clouds wide enough for the Going Merry to sail through, keeping the waterfall in sight until- 

“Okay, now that’s just pretentious.” Hikari stated baldly, taking in the massive golden starburst facade that proclaimed itself Heaven’s Gate. 

“That waterfall-like cloud really was a waterfall.” Nami realized, taking in the natural phenomenon instead. “It’s flowing over those different clouds from earlier.” 

“What’s this now? Heaven’s Gate?” Usopp muttered, growing nervous. “That’s unlucky! It sounds like we’re on our way to die!” 

“Y’know, maybe we already _are_ dead.” Zoro opined, and Sanji took a drag as Chopper went pale. 

“That would explain this weird world.” 

“Heaven, huh?” Luffy joined into, rocking back on his heels and missing the horror on their doctor’s face. “This is gonna be great! I finally get to go there!” 

“WE’RE DEAD!?!” 

BAM! 

THUMP! 

CRASH! 

“ _Not helping_.” Hikari hissed, scooping up poor Chopper to cuddle while Robin inspected the downed men in amusement as they approached said gate. 

“Look! Over there!” Usopp called, pointing to a walkway on their portside. “Someone’s coming out!” 

A wrinkled little old woman tottered out, clicking away at a handheld camera, but all their eyes were locked on the tiny, white-feathered wings sprouting from her shoulder-blades. 

“It’s an angel!” Luffy blurted, shaking Hikari’s shoulders. “Is _that_ what angels are like?! She’s like a pickled plum!” 

“I am Amazon, the Heaven’s Gate inspector.” She greeted with a croaky voice, blandly pleasant. “Sightseeing? Or perhaps war?” 

“Who goes to war with a single ship?” Hikari wondered, Zoro snickering. 

“What do you mean by ‘war’?” 

“It doesn’t matter either way. If you’re going to the upper area, pay the entrance fee of one billion extol per person. That is the law.” 

“Shit, that’s ten billion.” Gina hissed, and the pinkette frowned. 

“What’s the exchange rate on beli to extol?” 

“Whatever it is, one billion sounds really expensive!” Chopper worried, fussing with Lassoo’s ears. 

“Since when does a country have an entrance fee?” Nami complained before pitching her voice higher. “Um, about the money...What if we kinda don’t have it?” 

“You can pass.” 

“ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!” 

“Or you don’t have to pass.” Amazon continued, unruffled. “I am neither a gatekeeper nor a guard. I simply ask your intentions.” 

“Then let’s go!” Luffy declared, pointing ahead. “To the sky-islands!” 

“We don’t got money, but we’re going through, old lady!” Usopp informed the ‘inspector’, who nodded. 

“I see. The ten of you, then?” 

“Yeah, but how do we get to the sky-islands-?” 

Two monstrous claws rose on either side, clamping onto the stumps of its ‘wings’, and Momoo squealed when he was suddenly lifted up by the armored head of a crustacean appearing underneath him. 

“The White Sea’s famous Express Lobster.” 

And then, far faster than any crab or shrimp or lobster ought to go, said Express Lobster rocketed towards the waterfall. 

“HOLD ON!” 

Bursting onto a spiraling river of cloud, they were carried up and up and up, everyone grabbing onto railings or the mast while Luffy latched onto the figurehead with his legs, one arm each wrapped around Hikari and Zoro. 

“That’s the exit! There’s something written!” 

“Godland…” Robin read as they passed the ostentatious sign. “God’s Land, Skypiea?” 

“That’s not an exit!” The pinkette warned. “That’s the entrance!” 

Momoo’s cries matched the crew’s as they were tossed into open air, landing with a heavy SPLASH into another cloud-sea before slowly calming, a relieved sigh bubbling up from below. 

“An island!” Luffy gushed, shaking his armfuls excitedly at the cloud-tiered, lushly-jungled formation before them. “It’s a sky-island!” 

“Is this Skypiea?” Chopper wondered, popping up from underneath Gina as she straightened and Lassoo rolled back onto his paws. 

“Yeah!” Nami realized, starting to grin. “That’s the same name as the one written on the map that Luffy found! That galleon that fell on us really did come here. They saw this scenery two hundred long years ago.” 

“You can really smell adventure in the air!” Their captain claimed, inhaling deeply before pushing off into the shallow cloud-water. “Let’s go ashore!” 

Usopp whooped as he jumped after, Chopper pulling Lassoo and Gina along with excited giggles while the latter grabbed her guitar, and Hikari leaned her hip on the railing with a smile as she watched them all splash around. 

“Looks like it’s gonna be a beach day.” The key-holder mused, pushing off towards the dorms. “I’m gonna change, then.” 

“Me, too!” Nami agreed, skipping to catch up, but Zoro just shrugged. 

He saw nothing wrong with the pinkette’s current white tank top and dark leggings and thigh-high boots, but figured she had a reason. 

“Hey, Luffy! What about the anchor? There isn’t seabed around here, right?” 

“Who cares?” 

“Yeah, who cares?” Usopp agreed, knocking playfully into their captain and causing him to retaliate in kind. 

Snorting in amusement, Zoro moved to drop the anchor anyway, watching it find purchase in the milky shallows. 

“Still, this scenery is amazing.” The swordsman acknowledged, Sanji loosening his tie. “It’s like something out of a dream.” 

“Yeah, it sure is. Look at how they’re getting all carried away. They’re hopeless.” 

Draping his coat over the railing, the cook toed off his shoes. 

“YAHOO!” 

“So are you.” He noted after hearing another heavy splash, unimpressed. 

“If there’s any place it’s safe to get a little carried away, it’s probably here.” 

“You think-?” 

Nami bit back a laugh at the face Zoro made as he audibly choked, ears already bright red. 

The bikini top was a bright white against tanned skin, done in a twisted bandeau style with silvery starburst designs, little white bows appearing over each hip from the waist of tiny denim shorts, cut so high that the back pockets were visible. 

What caught his attention, however, was the sudden departure of her favorite boots, which were replaced with a flimsy black sandal and silver ribbon that secured it in place by criss-crossing all the way up past the knee into a neat bow on the back of each thigh. 

This was more skin than Zoro had been exposed to all at once in a while, certainly more than what was shown since their relationship officially began on Drum, and the sight was like a cudgel right to the head. 

“It’s not like they know we’re pirates, and even if they did, we’re not criminals here.” Hikari explained, utterly oblivious to the gawking he was doing while slipping the ring of neatly-wrapped keys between her breasts. “No marines are gonna show up to try and arrest us, so we might as well take the chance to relax.” 

Zoro managed to only nod dumbly as she passed him, swinging over the railing to coax Momoo out from under the ship. 

“You’re hopeless.” Nami concluded with amusement, snapping him around from the sight of Luffy slingshotting himself into her exposed cleavage with a glare. 

“What are you talking about, sea witch?” 

“I find it sweet.” Robin agreed, watching as Hikari knocked a love-sick Sanji into the trees so she could sprawl on the shore in peace with Momoo’s head in her lap. “Out of three beautiful women, he can’t take his eyes off her.” 

“Do I look like the shitty cook?!” Zoro sputtered, insulted at the thought he ought to ogle either of them, and Nami snickered. 

“Well, come on then, before Sanji-kun convinces her to let him put sunscreen on her back.” 

The swordsman was off like a shot, cursing when he had to waste precious seconds kicking off his shoes before vaulting the railing, shouting to Luffy about leaving her unguarded while Nami outright cackled. 

Hikari rolled her eyes at the inevitable clash between Zoro and Sanji, petting the sea-cow’s soft snout when he jolted in surprise, and Luffy dropped from a branch overhead onto her back with a laugh, hiding a grin in her ponytail. 

“Zoro’s silly!” 

“Zoro’s _stupid_.” The key-holder retorted, though she leaned back when the swordsman dropped behind them to pull both them and Momoo into his own lap with one last glare at an equally-battered Sanji. 

Gina snickered as she plopped down next to them, thumb strumming over the strings of her guitar and brow quirking when Lassoo and Chopper immediately rolled into her hip. 

“ **A bright sunny day don’t cost nothing...A light summer breeze don’t cost nothing…** ” She sang lowly, eyes closing as her fingers plucked the upbeat melody out into the air. “ **What do I do with all this money, when the only thing I want is you?** ” 

Zoro settled, dropping his chin on Luffy’s hat, as Chopper stared up with starry eyes. 

“ **Palling around don’t cost nothing...Singing a song don’t cost nothing...How do I spend all this money, I’d rather just spend time with you…** ” 

“Oh.” 

Everyone jolted in surprise, turning to see a pretty blonde woman a few yards down the shore, little white-feathered wings peeking through slits in the back of her dress and a small harp in her hand, dark blue eyes wide in mild surprise. 

“Heso. Did you come from the Blue Sea?” 

“Yeah, we flew up here from below.” Luffy answered, ignoring Sanji’s immediate heart-sick reaction. “Do you live here?” 

“Yes, I’m a resident here. Welcome to Skypiea’s Angel Beach.” She greeted properly, smiling as a fluffy white fox wound around her ankles. “I apologize, I heard your music from my usual spot and had to come find the source. My name is Conis, and this is Suu, a cloud-fox. If there is any way that I can be of help, please let me know.” 

“Well, you see, your gaze is setting my heart on fire-” 

CRACK! 

“Keep it in your pants, pervert.” Hikari scolded as Nami stepped around the downed cook, smiling. 

“There are lots of things that we’d like to know. To us, this place is filled with mysteries.” 

“Okay, please, ask me anything.” 

“Hey, something’s coming.” Zoro noted, looking out over the water towards a fast-moving dot, and the Skypiean smiled. 

“Oh, that’s my father.” 

“Conis-san, heso!” 

“Yes, heso, father!” 

“Hey, what’re you guys saying?” Luffy wondered, whining at a sudden pull on his ear from the key-holder. 

“Heso’s their version of ‘hello’, keep up.” 

“What’s he riding?” Gina wondered, Lassoo propping his forepaws on her shoulders to give Chopper a better view, and Conis turned. 

“Oh, are you talking about the waver?” 

“That’s a waver?” Hikari realized, the general shape reminding her of something that had been dragged aboard the Merry from the Saint Briss. 

“Sumimasen, I’m coming to a stop!” 

Only the waver gave a jerk, spinning out of his control across the firm clouds towards a tree, and the pinkette whipped out a silver key. 

“Open, Gate of Canis Major! MORO!” 

Conis went abruptly pale as the wolf-Spirit plucked her father from the out-of-control waver and tumbled gracefully back onto her paws, his shirt caught between careful jaws, and Hikari frowned at a sudden prickle up her spine, glancing back as if expecting another stranger to be watching them. 

“You’re a star-maiden!” Conis blurted, dark eyes wide, and Zoro frowned in thought. 

“Is that what key-holders are called here?” 

“Yes…” She answered after a few moments, forcibly calming down. “Those that can open the gateways to true heaven with holy keys are called star-maidens in Skypiea. We haven’t had one step foot on our shores in four generations.” 

“Star-maiden!” Sanji trilled, noodling around. “That fits Hikari-hime perfectly! A bright star that shines in a white sea-” 

BAM! 

“No one asked for your commentary.” Hikari bit out, Zoro snickering at how the cook bounced. 

“Are they your friends, Conis-san?” Her father wondered, brushing himself off while Moro helped nudge him upright. 

“Yes, we’ve just become acquainted.” Conis replied, voice even once more. “They said they came from the Blue Sea.” 

“I see. Then, there must be many things that you’re puzzled about. Sumimasen. This place is the White-White Sea.” 

“Oh stars, he might be worse than Aries…” The pinkette muttered, Luffy giggling from his perch on her back as Moro came around to touch noses with Lassoo and lick Chopper’s face. 

“Excuse me for not introducing myself sooner, but my name is Pagaya. Sumimasen.” 

“Father, were you able to catch some fish?” Conis wondered, fully redirecting the conversation, and Pagaya nodded. 

“Yes, I had a large catch. Oh, yes, why don’t you all come to our house? I’ll prepare dishes for you using the sky-harvest.” 

“Are you sure?” Luffy chirped, alert. “Then let’s go! Let’s go!” 

“Sky-island cuisine?” Sanji voiced, perking up from where he had landed. “Let me help you!” 

“Before we go, can I ask you a question?” Nami asked, stepping around Moro as she patiently let Lassoo gnaw on her ear to study the waver more closely. “This boat doesn’t have a sail, and you weren’t paddling, either. How did you propel it on the sea?” 

“Oh, you mean you’re not familiar with Dials?” Conis realized, and Chopper sat up straighter on Gina’s shoulder. 

“Dials?” 

In five minutes, Hikari was standing on the shore and watching Luffy fishtail rather spectacularly across the cloud-water before flying off. 

“And you were wondering why I demanded supervision?” She drawled, Usopp and Chopper looking rather sheepish as Momoo waded out to get him. 

“Oh, no! Is he alright?” Conis fretted, Pagaya wringing his hands. 

“Heavens! I’m sorry I let him use the waver!” 

“He’s not hurt.” Gina brushed off, snickering. “Skull like iron. Perfectly fine.” 

“Speaking of which, I wonder how this sea treats those with powers.” Sanji mused, adjusting his cigarette. 

“Oh, yeah.” Zoro remembered, arms crossed. “This isn’t an ordinary sea, so he may just float.” 

Rubbery hands disappeared with a flail, failing to resurface until the sea-cow hauled Luffy out by the back of his vest with a sputter. 

“He sank.” 

BAM! 

THUMP! 

“Fat lot of help you two are.” Hikari scolded, grabbing up a sopping Luffy with a chastising growl as he wrapped rubbery limbs around her in return, Moro fading through her Gate with an amused chuff as Momoo leaned into her praise with a purr. 

“I’m sorry for letting a beginner use that boat.” Pagaya apologized, genuinely guilty. “The body of the waver if made so light that its rudder can be taken over even by small waves. Unless you know very well about the sea, you can’t handle it that easily. Sumimasen.” 

“I’ve finally become able to ride it recently.” Conis admitted, Chopper’s jaw dropping. 

“It’s that hard?” 

“Well, if you train, in ten years or so, you’ll be able to ride it.” Pagaya assured, and Gina jerked a thumb out to the cloud-water. 

“Like that?” 

The crew watched as Nami weaved the waver around like a pro, and Sanji was already spinning in place. 

“Nami-san! You’re the coolest!” 

“Wow, that is incredible! I can’t believe it!” Pagaya praised, Luffy’s jaw dropping. 

“Why is she able to ride that thing?!” 

“You have to know the sea, right?” Hikari reasoned, ruffling his damp hair. “Makes sense that our navigator, who can tell when a typhoon is going to appear on the unpredictable Grand Line, would be a natural.” 

“It sure does require you to get the hang of it!” Nami called back to them, clearly having the time of her life. “This is too delicate for you to handle, Luffy!” 

The rubber boy pouted, tightening his grip on the pinkette’s body. 

“Hey, Nami! We’re going to the old guy’s house now, so get off already! You stupid head!” 

SMACK! 

“Rude.” Hikari scolded, and Luffy hid his pout in her neck as she hefted him up on a hip and started inland, a snickering Zoro following close behind. “Momoo, keep an eye on her, okay?” 

“You guys go on ahead!” Nami urged, taking a tight turn as the sea-cow floated out closer to where she was pulling tricks. “Mister! Can I stay out here a little longer and have fun?” 

“That’s fine!” Pagaya agreed as Gina looped Lassoo over her shoulders while Chopper clung to her head. “Be careful!” 

Past the tropical palms was an arching staircase settled into the clouds, leading up to higher platforms, the nearest being a modest home overlooking the beach. 

“Hey, is that a construction site?” Usopp questioned, pointing to where machinery was being used to cut cubes of solid cloud. 

“Oh, that’s a cloud-quarrying site.” Pagaya answered as he led them up towards the house, small white wings twitching. “It’s a site where they quarry out clouds to get manufactured.” 

“You can cut clouds?” Zoro voiced as he pat a grumbling Luffy’s back. 

“You took the Milky Road to get to the White-White Sea, right? That’s a man-made canal. It’s made out of the island-clouds that are quarried out here. There’s two kinds of natural clouds. The ones your ship traveled on are called sea-clouds, and the ones floating there that you can walk on are called island-clouds.” 

“They’re both weird.” Gina decided, glancing back to find it was nearly impossible to distinguish between ‘island’ and ‘sea’ even from this distance. 

“Right. Their condensation nucleus is different from other clouds.” Pagaya agreed as Luffy stretched an arm to poke at unmanufactured clouds, giggling at the bounce. “I’ve heard that a mineral called the Sea Prism Stone exists in the Blue Sea.” 

“Sea Prism Stone?” Robin echoed, intrigued. “Is it something to do with those clouds?” 

“Yes. When the corneous particles called pyrobroine contained in that stone are carried into the sky due to volcanoes and gain moisture, sea-clouds and island-clouds are formed depending on the density of the moisture.” 

“Oh, I see…” Luffy muttered, shifty-eyed. “ _That_ particle…” 

“Oh, yeah, that one.” Usopp agreed stiffly, sweating. “We used to play with them a lot in our childhood, corneous particles…” 

“There’s no way!” Sanji rebuked immediately, Hikari rolling her eyes skyward. 

“Well, in any case, there’re three kinds of clouds here.” Pagaya summarized as they stepped onto what amounted to a front porch. “Sea-clouds and island-clouds, which are natural, and man-made clouds made out of island-clouds. Now, this way, please.” 

Their home proved small, but bright and airy, and Hikari dropped onto the cloud-made couch with a sigh as Luffy squirmed into a comfortable position on her lap and Zoro took the space to her right, dropping an arm around the pinkette’s shoulders just so Sanji would hiss venomously on his way to the kitchen after Pagaya. 

“The whole lot of you are children.” She informed the swordsman, mouth twitching into a smile when he grumbled into her ponytail. 

“Miss, I don’t mean to be abrupt, but would you tell us a little about the Dials you mentioned earlier?” Robin wondered, neatly crossing her legs opposite them on a second couch. 

“Sure!” Conis agreed as Gina sat next to the archaeologist, Lassoo drooping to take up her lap before Chopper slid down to sit on the dozing dog-gun. “Well...How should I explain it?” 

Stepping over to a nearby drawer, the Skypiean dug around a bit before pulling out a spiral-shell that built on itself in a cone-like shape. 

“What?” Luffy muttered, brow furrowing. “It’s a seashell.” 

“Yes, please say something to it.” She instructed, and the rubber boy stretched his head over. 

“Okay! Hm...Usopp is stupid!” 

“Hey! Why me?!” 

“Now, please press the apex of that shell.” Conis continued, causing a frown. 

“What’s an apex?” 

“It’s the tip of the shell.” Usopp answered on a sigh, pressing in the tip himself and jumping when voices escaped it. 

“Usopp is stupid!” 

“Hey! Why me?!” 

“Now, please press the apex of that shell.” 

“Ah!” Luffy squealed, dragging Hikari and Zoro to the couch’s edge in his excitement. “The seashell made fun of Usopp!” 

“Whoa, that’s amazing!” The swordsman agreed, missing the spark of recognition in Hikari’s eyes. “It stored the sounds?” 

“So that seashell is a Dial?” Robin deduced, studying the innocuous object closely. 

“Yes, this is called a Tone Dial. It’s a White-White Sea seashell that records and replays sounds.” 

“But isn’t the sea bottomless here?” Hikari voiced, adjusting against the couch’s arm, and Zoro nodded. 

“Where do they live?” 

“They live in the reefs of the shallows.” Conis explained, and Robin hummed thoughtfully. 

“But I can’t believe that this thing can move that waver.” 

“You’re right.” The Skypiean agreed, picking up a slightly larger shell that curled into a more compact disc shape. “This is the kind that powers the wavers. This is a small one, but it’s fundamentally the same as the Tone Dials.” 

When a section on the side was pressed, air breezed out the open end and rattled a nearby windchime, stunning Usopp. 

“So wind comes out of this one…” 

“Let me try it!” Luffy demanded, stretching out an arm to snag the Dial and giggling as the contained air made his rubbery cheeks flap. 

“This is called a Breath Dial. It lets you store and blow wind as you desire. The capacity varies depending on the size of the shell, but by attaching this to the stern, you can move a light boat. Actually, there’re various kinds of wavers, like a skating type and a board type, although riding the waver is as much as I can handle.” 

“I wanna ride it.” Luffy complained, pouting out the window. “I’m jealous of Nami. Too bad we have one, but we can’t use it.” 

“You mean that hunk of junk you pulled out of the Saint Briss?” Hikari clarified, chin dropping on his shoulder. “It’s two hundred years old, it’d be a miracle if it still worked.” 

“We don’t know that.” Conis considered, optimistic. “Dials have always been made from the shells of dead shellfish. So, unless the shell itself is damaged, they work semi-permanently.” 

“You still can’t drive it.” The pinkette cut in before their captain could get too excited, earning the Puppy-Dog Eyes. 

“ _Kari_ …” 

“Sounds like other kinds of Dials exist as well, huh?” Robin considered, gesturing to the coffee table where an oval-shaped shell sat. “Is this one of them, too?” 

“Yes, it’s a Lamp Dial.” 

“Whoa! The seashell lit up!” Chopper marveled, pressing his hoof to turn it off and back on again. 

“In addition, there are Flame Dials that store flames, Flavor Dials that store fragrance, Vision Dials that store videos, and so on.” 

“They do everything.” Gina voiced, impressed, and Conis nodded. 

“People in the sky couldn’t live without these. So, you could say that sky-culture goes hand-in-hand with Dial energy.” 

“Now, the food is ready!” Sanji announced, filled the table with all sorts of sky-seafood, steaming and buttery and decadent as any of his usual meals. “It’s a hearty sky-seafood course with sky-island fruits!” 

“Wow!” 

“Amazing!” 

With some maneuvering, Hikari managed to slow Luffy enough for everyone else to prepare a plate, a short growl enough to dissuade thievery when his greedy fingers reached for Chopper’s. 

“Hey, where did Nami-san go?” Sanji wondered from the balcony, looking out over the water below. “And Momoo?” 

“She’s not out on the waver?” Hikari replied, popping one last shrimp in her mouth before standing. 

“No, she isn’t.” 

“Then she probably went out a little far.” Usopp reasoned around a full mouth, waving them off. “Don’t worry about her. She’s got Momoo, right?” 

“Father, I wonder if she’s alright?” Conis worried, far more than seemed warranted to the pinkette, and Pagaya frowned. 

“Yes, Conis-san, I’m a bit concerned myself.” 

“Why?” Luffy mumbled around a constant stream of food. “What’s the matter?” 

“Here in Skypiea, there’s a place that we’re never to step foot in no matter what.” The female Skypiean explained, shifting uneasily in her seat. “That place is next to this island, so if you travel a bit by waver, you can get there…” 

“Why can’t you go there?” Chopper wondered, hugging Lassoo’s head as the dog-gun began to growl. 

“It’s sacred ground. We call that place Upper Yard, the land where God lives.” 

“There’s a God?!” Luffy blurted, nearly spraying food. “In a place where we’re never to set foot in?!” 

“We stayed out of trouble for two hours…” Hikari lamented, and Zoro pat her hip in solidarity. “Why can we never stay out of trouble?” 

“You mean _that_ God?” Chopper stammered, clinging to Gina’s shirt. “God lives on the sky-island?!” 

“Yes.” Conis answered solemnly. “Since Skypiea is God’s Land, it’s ruled by the Almighty God Eneru.” 

Hikari felt that same prickle up her spine at the name, like it had evoked this so-called God, and glanced over her shoulder anxiously. 

“God Eneru knows everything in this word. He’s also watching us all the time.” 

“All the time?!” Usopp panicked, and Luffy peered around as if expecting to see a disembodied pair of eyes. 

“Now, too?” 

“Of course.” Conis replied, pointedly not looking towards Hikari as Chopper flailed, Gina almost visibly bristling. 

“What?! He’s watching us now?!” 

“God, huh?” Zoro mused, catching the Iron Dragon’s attention. 

“You don’t believe?” 

“I don’t know. Whether or not God exists doesn’t matter to me.” The swordsman replied with a shrug. “I couldn’t care less from the beginning, but I don’t want to deny those who want to believe.” 

“So there’s definitely someone in Upper Yard calling himself God.” Hikari summarized, moving closer to run a hand through Chopper’s fur and over Lassoo’s raised hackles. “Have you seen him, Conis?” 

“No! God forbid! We cannot ever set foot in Upper Yard, never!” 

The Skypiean’s panic was enough to make up her mind, and Hikari nodded as she stepped out onto the balcony. 

“Then I’ll go get Nami. Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.” 

There were gasps when gold-silver wings pushed from the exposed skin of her shoulders, glittering like precious jewels as they flexed outward. 

“Open, Gate of the Tres Felis! CARLA!” 

With a nod, the cat-Spirit sprouted her own feathered wings and took off ahead of her key-holder into the bright sky, both scanning the placid cloud-sea below. 

At the very least, with how white and unblemished it was, they should have no trouble spotting-

Hikari pulled up short, startled, at the island that came into view through the clouds. 

Trees grew like skyscrapers from rich green grass, bigger than they had any right to be, rock and bare earth rising from the cloud-sea in a tangle of vines and underbrush that stood in stark contrast to Skypiea. 

_ How did earth end up in the sky? _

Carla’s tail lashed sharply, and a low cry from below revealed Momoo, waving his flippers frantically and using his thick tail to bounce off the cloud-bed. 

“Momoo!” Hikari called, swooping down to hug his snout. “Where’s Nami?” 

Snuffling anxiously, the sea-cow pointed further down the shoreline, and Carla nodded, retreating back through her Gate as Hikari followed, peering through the foliage and hoping-

“Shit.” 

There was the waver, bobbing near a lower section of Upper Yard, Nami at the controls and that guerrilla aiming right for her with his bazooka- 

“NAMI!” 

One hard downward thrust, and she shot forward like an arrow, enveloping the startled navigator in her wings before the explosive sailed past and impacted Upper Yard in an impressive spray of fire. 

“Kari!” Nami coughed out, clinging to the dragon as Momoo raced to catch up with a furious roar, the waver rocking wildly beneath them. “There’s these four guys, they’re monsters! They were chasing him-” 

A body thumped against the rocks above, revealing a battered man dragging himself out of the smoke, bloodied and wild-eyed. 

“I thought no one was allowed here.” Hikari realized, alarmed, wings spreading-

There was a crackle in the air, an unnatural tingle across her scales and a twitch up her spine, and Nami yelped when she was suddenly encased in gold-silver wings again. 

“Open, Gate of the Ram! ARIES!” 

“WOOL WALL!” 

A pillar of lightning came down in a blinding burst moments after the wool formed, crashing down on the struggling man like a hammer-blow. 

The ground, the trees, everything caught in its way was utterly _vaporized_ , electricity visibly arcing over their insulated barrier even from a distance, and Hikari released a shuddering breath as the light faded. 

“Sumimasen…” Aries fretted, turning to help steady a shaky Nami as Hikari noticed the guerrilla watching them a long moment before racing off back over the cloud-sea. 

Shouts came from above, the hunters attempting to put out fires caused by the lightning-blast, and she pressed a hand gently to Nami’s mouth as they spoke. 

“We ran out of time.” 

“Another group of illegal entrants has already infiltrated this land. Old Lady Amazon informed us that it’s a ship with ten Blue Sea people on board.” 

The navigator went pale, and Aries frowned, turning her head to keep an eye on the overgrown jungle. 

“There’s no challenge in taking care of only ten people.” 

“Ten heads...We can’t divide them by four.” 

“Time to go.” Hikari whispered, pushing off back into the sky, and the Celestial Spirit nodded, escaping back through her Gate as Nami whipped the waver around to take off back towards Skypiea. 

Fear had her pushing the little boat to full speed, cloud-water spraying in a high wake, as Momoo struggled to keep up even in his own panic. 

The pinkette glanced back towards the quickly-receding Upper Yard, unable to help a prickle of unease over her scales that had them rattling like windchimes, before, thankfully, Skypiea soon returned into sight, a too-large gathering on the shore. 

“LUFFY! ZORO! DON’T YOU DARE DO SOMETHING STUPID!” 

“Kari! Nami!” Usopp shouted as the pair jumped back from threatening the White Berets. “Go ahead and pay them the ten-million beri fee for our illegal entry using your secret stash!” 

“Fine, just-” 

Momoo squeaked when the waver suddenly put on a fresh burst of speed, and Hikari cursed, swooping down- 

“THAT’S TOO EXPENSIVE!” 

The pinkette nearly face-planted into the cloud-sea as their navigator basically _ran over_ Skypiea’s chief law official, Momoo slapping both flippers over his face with a whine. 

“YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO MAKE THINGS WORSE!!!” 

The sea-cow wisely dove under the Merry to escape the scene as Hikari landed, Nami smiling sheepishly as he quickly returned Pagaya’s waver. 

“Hey, mister, thanks for letting me use your waver. It was fun.” 

“No, no, sumimasen. More importantly, you all are in big trouble!” He warned as the other White Berets crowded around their concussed captain, Luffy and Zoro avoiding Hikari’s glare. 

“ _Twenty_. _Minutes_.” 

“Everyone, let’s get out of here!” Nami ordered, and the rubber boy frowned. 

“Why? I thought you started a fight.” 

“That’s enough reason.” The key-holder hissed, scooping up Chopper when he toddled up with Lassoo. 

“By the way, what crime would that be?” Zoro wondered, jerking his thumb towards the fallen Skypiean as Gina watched the other men try to rouse him. 

“I think it’s probably a fifth-degree crime for obstructing official duties.” Pagaya answered, and Usopp sighed in relief. 

“Good! That’s still only a fifth-degree crime!” 

“That’s not good!” Conis objected, worry darkening her face. “When it’s determined to be a fifth-degree crime, in the name of God Eneru, you’ll be banished to the clouds.” 

“What’s that?” Luffy asked, sprawling between Hikari’s wings despite her annoyed growl. “Being banished to the clouds sounds kinda nice.” 

“No, it doesn’t! It’s the death penalty!” 

… 

“Good job, Nami.” The pinkette deadpanned, rubbing at a headache between her eyes. “You got us the death penalty. You’ve officially gotten us into worse trouble faster than _Luffy_.” 

“Figured it’d be Usopp, to be honest.” Gina mused, and Conis pressed a hand to her mouth as the sniper squawked. 

“It’s a punishment where you, together with your ship, are put on a cloud that you can’t escape from, and you keep wandering until you become bones.” 

“I see.” Robin hummed, considering. “That’s why that ship fell from the sky. Remember that galleon? The Saint Briss, was it? They might have received that punishment two hundred years ago.” 

“HEY, YOU!” The White Berets shouted, regaining their attention. 

“Do you realize what you’ve done to the captain?!” 

“Hey, shouldn’t you be more concerned with getting him to a doctor?” Hikari wondered, and the men panicked. 

“That’s right!” 

“Then let’s carry him over to my house.” Pagaya offered, and they scrambled to get their leader on a stretcher and- 

“You’ve _got_ to be kidding me.” Hikari stated blankly as the entire squad put the stretcher on their shoulders to crawl away down the beach after Pagaya and Conis. 

“All ten of you, don’t go anywhere! Understood?!” 

… 

“Alright, we’re leaving.” 

“Aw…” Luffy, Usopp and Chopper whined, earning a glare from their Celestial Dragon. 

“If we stay one more minute, you’re liable to somehow get the marines up here and up our asses on top of everything else!” 

“Yes!” Nami agreed immediately. “I saw it with my own eyes! An island with these scary guys on it!” 

“So you _did_ go to the place they call forbidden sacred ground.” Zoro noted, Luffy lighting up like a Christmas tree. 

“The place you’re never to step foot in! Scary guys!” 

“Don’t listen!” Usopp wailed, covering their captain’s ears while Chopper tried to pin one leg and Lassoo the other. “Don’t look! Don’t talk!” 

“That place is no good for sure!” Their navigator continued, waving a fist. “In any case, we’re leaving! We’re leaving!” 

“Ah…” Sanji sighed, slumping. “It’s heartbreaking to be apart from Conis-chan, but if that’s what Hikari-hime and Nami-san say…” 

“Sticking around would get them into trouble, too.” Gina voiced gruffly, frowning up at the little house. “And they live here.” 

“So get on the boat and shut up.” Hikari growled, herding the crew back towards the Going Merry as Momoo peeked out to check what had been destroyed. 

Except their captain, who stubbornly stayed in place, staring inland. 

“Why are we running away?” 

“Because we’ll be in big trouble!” Nami snapped as Gina lifted Chopper and Lassoo back on the deck with some help from Robin’s blooming hands. 

“We’re always in big trouble.” He reasoned, and Zoro paused in the shallows at Hikari’s put-upon sigh. 

“What about Conis and Pagaya? They didn’t sign up for this.” 

“Those two have done nothing wrong. The one who arrests them is wrong.” 

“That won’t stop them from doing it.” She answered sadly, and the flash of hurt only hardened Luffy’s face. “In the Blues or in the clouds...It doesn’t matter.” 

Zoro scowled, but this did nothing to sway their straw-hatted boyfriend even an inch. 

“Either way, we’re in big trouble.” 

“Please, run!” Conis’ shout revealed the White Beret’s return, and Hikari’s wings mantled as Nami and Usopp rushed to hide behind her. 

“Darn!” 

“They actually crawl pretty fast…” 

“You shouldn’t, miss.” The captain warned sternly. “If you say something that defends criminals, you two are also going to pay. As you know, those people are felons who should be sentenced to be banished to the clouds as punishment for their fifth-degree crime, caused by all their abusive language towards us, along with their obstruction of our official duties.” 

“It was an accident!” Nami shouted, but the men took aim with shell-tipped arrows. 

“Arrest them! Fire! Milky Arrows!” 

Clouds streamed from their bows in shallow arcs, and Nami cried out as she and the sniper were thrown back towards the Going Merry while Hikari lunged. 

“Celestial Dragon’s Whip!” 

Eyes popped out of their heads when the crack of starlight tore through their attack, the captain pale as a ghost. 

“DRAGON!!!” 

The next arrows were pointed straight at her, and Luffy surged forward as Zoro drew Wado and Yubashiri. 

“BACK OFF OUR KARI! GUM GUM GATLING!” 

“USHI BARI!” 

Conis and Pagaya could only watch, stunned, as the elite fighting force of Skypiea was taken down in what could generously be timed at about five seconds. 

“How dare they attempt to harm Hikari-hime?!” Sanji raged as he raced back out of the water, fluttering about the annoyed key-holder. 

“They knew you were a dragon.” Usopp realized, flailing upright in the cloud-water. “Not a lot of people usually do, right? Because there’s only you and Gina!” 

“If they have sky-fish and sky-islands and sky-people, why not sky-dragons?” Robin theorized, causing him to pale. 

“OKAY, TIME TO GO!” 

“You fools!” The White Beret captain cackled, more bloodied than before. “You can’t go back now! You should’ve just behaved and done what I told you to...We, the White Berets, are the gentlest upholders of the law in God’s Land! However, _they_ are not as nice as we are! You are now second-degree criminals! No matter if you cry or scream, you’ll be judged by the priests of Upper Yard!” 

Watching the White Berets retreat by crawling backwards, Hikari tried to will away a headache as Gina leaned on the railing, brow quirked. 

“Sounds like we’re worse off again.” 

“Don’t start with me…” 

“Well, what’s the fuss?” Luffy wondered, smiling. “We’re used to being pursued. More importantly, why did you let Kari find you?” 

“Huh?” Nami grunted, thrown off, as their captain gestured. 

“We were finally about to go to that place that we’re never to enter for a big adven-Er, no, to look for you!” 

BAM! 

“Don’t even try to lie, idiot.” Hikari chided, though Zoro caught the slight tilt to her head and the slant of her mouth, straightening. 

“Kari-chan?” Nami pressed, growing jittery. “We should leave, right?” 

“It’s just…” The key-holder drew out, and Luffy popped up from his spot on the ground, eyes wide. “It’s not right. Besides, we never _did_ consider how to go back.” 

Usopp choked, eyes bugging, before turning frantically to Conis and Pagaya. 

“Say, is there a way for us to go back safely? Can we go back to the Blue Sea?” 

“There is a way, though at this point, I can no longer say it’s safe…” The female Skypiean admitted. “If you go to Cloud End, the farthest edge of the clouds.” 

“How do we get there?” Chopper wondered from the bow’s railing, Lassoo peeking around Gina’s legs. 

“Cloud End is in the far east. To get there, you need to go down to the White Sea first.” 

“No!” Luffy denied stubbornly, wrapping around Hikari’s torso. “I’m not going back! Right, Kari?” 

“Hey, do you wanna stay here and get sentenced to death?” The sharpshooter complained, and the dragon sighed. 

“At the very least, we can’t stay here. There are other sky-islands, and that way, they can’t ambush us so easily.” 

“Exactly!” Nami agreed quickly. “Everyone, let’s set sail!” 

“Oh, yeah!” Luffy burst, dropping back onto his own feet after only a handful of steps. “Hey, old guy! Can I take all the leftover food from earlier with me?” 

“Yes, of course.” Pagaya agreed easily, and the rubber boy cheered. 

“Alright! Sanji, prepare some lunch boxes!” 

“He’s on the ball.” Their cook agreed, turning around, and Usopp brightened. 

“In that case, can I ask a favor as well? You’re an engineer, right, old guy? Would you give me some fixtures for ship repair?” 

“Sure, no problem. Then, let’s go to our house again.” 

Shaking her head, Hikari guided a frustrated Nami after Robin and Zoro towards where Chopper, Gina and Lassoo waited on the Merry. 

“You guys get back here in half an hour, or I’m coming to get you.” 

“Okay, Kari!” 

“Your wish is my command, Hikari-hime!” 

“You know there’s no reasoning with him.” She explained to their navigator, lifting her aboard while Robin used blooming hands as a ladder for her and Zoro. 

“Even _I_ know that, and I’ve only known him a few days.” Gina agreed, hands in her pockets. “Better to just put on your scales and try to survive, yeah?” 

“That’s the spirit.” Zoro approved, smirking at the grumble that came when he ruffled her hair. 

“We have a better chance together than split up.” The older dragon reasoned, and Nami swore under her breath before spotting Conis still below. 

“Excuse me, I’d like to discuss something with you all.” 

Curious, the rope ladder was dropped so she could board, solemn. 

“There’s a current that can get you down towards Cloud End. By getting on that cloud, you can cross the vast ocean and go to the White Sea without getting lost.” 

“Really?!” Nami squealed, relieved, though Hikari’s wings twitched. 

“As long as you get on the current, no one can chase after you.” 

“If we don’t tell Luffy and get the Going Merry on that current…” 

“But that doesn’t mean he’ll give up.” Robin reminded her, eye caught by the play of light off gold-silver scales. 

“I can guide you to the entrance of that current riding a waver.” Conis offered, smile dim. “Please weigh anchor and wait for me.” 

“Okay.” Their navigator agreed easily. “I really appreciate it, Conis.” 

“No problem…” 

Hikari watched as the Skypiean disembarked, headed back inland. 

“...I wonder if there’s really a current.” 

Robin nodded, fingers drumming on her arm. 

“If such a convenient current existed, you’d expect to see more survivors from the sky-island in the Blue Sea.” 

“Don’t be silly.” Nami waved off. “Since it’s difficult for people to come up here in the first place, it’s just natural that not many people escape here safely as well.” 

“It’s possible that quite a lot of the people who tried couldn’t escape because they were too slow.” Chopper pointed out, and Nami gestured in agreement. 

“That’s right. Not knowing when to back off can cost you your life. Hurry up and get ready to set sail. Weigh anchor quickly. Chopper, use your Heavy Point now and start on the heavy lifting.” 

Hikari sighed, wings folding in neatly as the reindeer trotted to the stern, taking on his Heavy Point to lift the anchor. 

Something felt very _off_ about all of this…

Momoo shrieked as the cloud-sea rocked them violently, Lassoo yelping as he nearly toppled over, and Zoro burst up from his nap. 

“What’s going on?!” 

“FUCK!” Hikari swore, eyes widening as massive crustacean claws clamped on Merry’s wing-stumps. “MOMOO!” 

The poor sea-cow could only wail, stuck as he was between the gargantuan lobster’s carapace and the ship’s hull, bursting from underneath them to zip away at high speeds. 

“It’s trying to take us somewhere!” Zoro cursed, drawing Wado. “Hey! Everyone off the ship! There’s still time!” 

“What about the ship?!” Chopper worried, hugging Lassoo’s neck as they clung to Gina’s legs, the Iron Dragon swearing profusely. 

“If they take our ship, we’re fucked!” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay.” He replied tensely, and Hikari growled. 

“Like hell you are, Roronoa Zoro!” 

“Even if you defeat the lobster, large sky-fish are following us with their mouths open.” Robin pointed out, and Gina swore more loudly when she spotted the large beasts in their wake. “We can’t jump off the ship and escape now. Even if we could defeat them, another batch will probably arrive soon. There’s nothing we can do. It’s probably already started.” 

“Heaven’s Judgement.” Hikari concluded grimly, and the swordsman scowled. 

“So, instead of sending people after us, they’re bringing us in. What an impudent guy…” 

Hikari felt a chill go down her spin, fluttering across sensitive wings, and thought that this God was much worse than ‘impudent’.


	20. Skypiea Arc: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> I'm starting to fill up my weekday mornings with some form of work again, so my updates will definitely be slowing down next week. That still leaves plenty of time, though, don't worry! I was just so excited to hear what you all thought about this chapter, I couldn't hold it back anymore.
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

Vaulting the railing, Hikari looked around at the massive stone altar the Going Merry had been deposited on, the hull cradled by a solitary cloud that Momoo huddled under, shaken.

The long roll of stairs led down into what seemed like a man-made cloud-lake, disappearing mid-step, the surface slick with moss and moisture, and Zoro dropped next to her with a grunt.

“That damn Super-Express Lobster just deserted us here…”

“Where exactly are we?” Gina wondered, catching Chopper and Lassoo to set them on the stone while Hikari moved to soothe a trembling sea-cow.

“What’s for certain is that it’s the interior of Upper Yard…” Nami pointed out, taking in the burning torches flanking either side of a gargantuan, inscribed slab of stone behind them.

“It’s almost as if this is a sacrificial altar.” Robin noted, and Hikari sighed as Momoo trembled more violently.

“That’s so comforting. I’m glad you brought it up. We all feel much better now.”

“What’s a sacrifice?” Chopper wondered, Gina rubbing at her eyes.

“It’s when you give up something to someone else for something in return. Like our lives.”

“WHAT!?!”

“Why are so many of you unhelpful today?!” Hikari complained as Momoo released waterfalls of tears.

“But what if we die?!” Chopper cried, squeaking when his panicked flailing tipped his balance-

“CHOPPER!!!”

Leaping forward, Gina curled to surround the reindeer to tumble down the steps until Lassoo caught her foot, claws digging into stone for purchase as hands bloomed to hold them steady.

“Damn.” The Iron Dragon cursed, Lassoo backpedaling furiously when a black-striped sky-fish rose up with bared fangs-

Three blades clashed against that open maw, Zoro tackling both back into the cloud-water as Hikari finally grabbed the dog-gun’s rear legs to yank all three out of range.

“What is that?” Nami demanded, eyes wide.

“A shark in the sky…” Robin mused as Chopper clung tight to Hikari’s chest, trembling. “A sky-shark?”

“Shit.” Gina growled at the stillness below, hands iron-scaled. “Come on, get up…”

A beat of silence, two, and then the sky-shark burst out into open air, Zoro holding it’s gaping maw open with all three swords, and Hikari cursed as they disappeared with a mighty splash.

“He went under again!” Chopper wailed, Lassoo and Momoo howling. “Zoro isn’t coming back up!”

“Do you think he got eaten?” Nami worried, freezing at the fierce glare sent her way as the light dimmed.

“ _Of course not_!”

“If he was eaten, the clouds would turn red.” Robin agreed, and that glare turned on her as Chopper sobbed louder.

“ _Seriously_?!”

Luckily for both of them, the sky-shark was uppercut into the air, out cold, and Gina quirked a brow as the soaking swordsman started climbing the steps, pushing a pair of goggles up onto his forehead.

“This is bad.” He stated lightly, stripping off his see-through shirt. “Doesn’t look like swimming outta here will do us any good.”

“If you ever scare me like that again, Roronoa Zoro, sky-sharks and priests and God will be the _least_ of your worries!” Hikari warned, tossing him a blue tank top as Chopper almost sparkled.

“You’re so strong, Zoro!”

“Nice.” Gina approved, head tilting as a wave of blue-and-black fins rose from the clouds below to circle their fallen brethren. “But it’d take days to beat up all of those at this rate.”

“We can’t just sit here.” Robin warned, studying the altar’s marks as Zoro pulled on the fresh top.

“That giant lobster brought us to one hell of a place.”

“Do you suppose starving us here is ‘Heaven’s Judgement’?”

“Would God really do something so bland?”

“Are we going to discuss this guy’s taste in murder methods or figure a way out of this mess?” Hikari deadpanned, and Zoro shrugged as he glanced over the ship.

“We can’t sail with the hull like this.”

“I’ve got it.” Gina assured, one hand morphing into a hammer, as Nami turned back to them in surprise.

“Are you planning to do something?”

“I’m gonna get into this forest. We should probably make this our base of operations.”

“Since Luffy and the others are probably headed this way, that’s a good idea.” Hikari agreed with a sigh, Chopper dropping onto Lassoo’s head with wide eyes.

“What are you going into the forest for?”

“God’s on this island, right?” Zoro replied, smirking. “I’m gonna go meet him.”

“I’m telling you that’s a bad idea!” Nami screeched, flailing when their key-holder only rolled her eyes. “What if you run into those freaks?!”

“Dunno. Depends on how they act.”

The little reindeer was looking at him like the swordsman hung the moon, and Gina blinked away stars with a huff.

“Zoro, you seem even mightier than God…”

“Of course your first priority is picking a fight.” The pinkette accused, frowning when Zoro looped an arm around her hips and dipped down for a kiss.

“We can’t make God angry!” Nami protested, on the verge of a breakdown. “It’s common sense, you know!”

“Sorry, but I’ve never once prayed to God.”

Hikari bit back a smile as the wonder doubled in Chopper’s eyes, Gina begrudgingly impressed.

“So cool!”

“Don’t believe in him either.” The swordsman continued, shrugging when their navigator fell to her knees in fervent prayer. “So I got no obligation to him.”

“Mind if I join you, Kenshi-san?” Robin wondered, earning a frown.

“No, but don’t go slowing me down.”

“Hold on!” Nami screeched, up on her feet in a flash. “Where are you going, Robin?!”

“Look at this.” The archaeologist replied, gesturing to the stone slab she had been studying. “At least a thousand years have passed since this altar was built. Historical things like this make my body tingle...Where there is great history, there should be just as many old relics. I’d wager even a few jewel fragments would help out our ship.”

“I’m coming, too!”

“That’s some whiplash right there.” Gina drawled, and Zoro popped a kiss on Hikari’s nose.

“Gonna give us a lift?”

The key-holder grumbled, scales rattling, before giving in and grabbing a pair of silver keys.

“Can’t exactly let you swim. Open, Gate of the Tres Felis! HAPPY! CARLA!”

“Hey, hime!” The blue cat-Spirit greeted, looking around with a frown. “Didn’t you get to the sky-island?”

“That’s part of the problem.” She snarked, Carla smacking him upside the head. “Do you mind helping them across?”

“Of course, hime.” The psychic Spirit agreed, wings sprouting as she hopped onto Nami’s back and Happy did the same for Robin.

Pushing off the edge, Hikari glided easily over the cloud-water even with Zoro’s extra weight, wings beating hard once to soften their landing on the bank moments before the other women followed.

“Be careful.” The dragon warned, curling forward from where she was holding the back of his shirt to give Zoro a parting kiss.

“Should be saying that to you.” He retorted, pulling her back in for another as Happy wolf-whistled and Carla dragged him back through their Gate with a SMACK. “Gonna stay with the ship?”

“Was thinking of taking down a tree for some wood to help with repairs.” She replied, pulling back to address Nami and Robin. “Don’t be reckless out there, okay?”

With their assurances, Hikari watched the trio disappear among the oversized flora, rubbing goosebumps from her arms before turning back.

“Hey! I’m gonna get some more wood! Shout if you need me!”

Chopper, Lassoo and Momoo sniffled pathetically as Gina offered a thumb’s up, smirking.

“Don’t worry, I got ‘em.”

With a nod, the pinkette smiled and headed into the underbrush, wings folding gently against her back and reflecting light in the darkness until she disappeared from sight.

With a bucket of nails and a pile of spare boards, Gina got to work on the damaged Going Merry with an anxious Chopper right at her side, Lassoo settling in to keep watch while Momoo questioned his entire life.

Cutting away the splintered edges of weakened boards, the Heavy Point reindeer then held up the replacements for her, claws carefully wedging them seamlessly into place before securing each with nails.

After a while, they fell into a rhythm, and his ears twitched at the hum that started to escape the Iron Dragon’s throat, slowly turning into a melody that matched the steady thumps of her hammer-hand.

Momoo’s low whines quieted, ears twitching forward to better catch the sound, and Lassoo turned his head from glaring down a sky-shark, tail thumping against stone.

Glancing over when a board hesitated in switching hands, the Iron Dragon blinked up at the starry-eyed human-reindeer before turning pink and grabbing the board with a huff, no longer humming.

“No, don’t stop!” Chopper sputtered, waving his hands. “It was really nice!”

“Then quit staring.” She grumbled, using a claw to trim the board into just the right size, and the reindeer frowned in thought.

“Hey, Gina…” He began slowly, fidgeting with the next board. “What’s your dream?”

Her hand stopped mid-swing, lower lip trembling for just a moment before she followed through.

“It’s just, almost everyone else has said what their dreams are…Luffy’s gonna be Pirate King, Zoro’s gonna be the World’s Greatest Swordsman, Kari’s gonna collect all the Zodiac keys, Nami’s going to map the whole world, Usopp’s going to be a brave warrior of the sea, Sanji’s going to find the All Blue…”

Chopper ducked his head, shy.

“I want...to be a doctor capable of curing any disease. But what about you?”

“...Didn’t think I’d ever do much of anything, besides kill whoever Crocodile told me to.” Gina admitted gruffly, taking the next board without meeting his eyes. “So I never thought about what I _wanted_ to do, except survive. Not much time for anything else.”

Momoo sniffled, and Lassoo’s ears tipped back as tears wavered in Chopper’s dark eyes.

“Guess I’ll just figure it out as we go along.”

The Iron Dragon blinked rapidly at a sniffle, yelping in surprise at suddenly being wrapped up in a tearful hug by a human-reindeer.

“O-Oi!”

“Of course we’ll help you, Gina-chan!” Chopper blubbered, swinging her side to side even when Gina flailed in protest.

“Holy shit, Chop! Quit it! I’m gonna hurl!”

Both froze at a low growl from Lassoo, heads tilting as Momoo rose from his huddle under the ship’s cloud, lips peeling back from sharp fangs.

 _Something was coming_. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frowning at the mold-ridden trunk below her, Hikari sighed and glanced around the toppled tree, considering.

She had been hoping to find a fallen one to gather wood from, rather than slice open a perfectly healthy specimen, but the last two had already rotted through...

A tingle zipped up her spine, the dragon in her chest rumbling low like distant thunder, and the key-holder went still.

Suddenly, she was aware of how quiet everything had become.

There were no large birds cawing, no sky-fish splashing in the cloud-rivers, not even a breeze rustling the massive leaves.

A crackle across her wings, scales chiming in alarm, and Hikari whipped around with a starlight-encrusted fist, cursing when a large, pale hand caught her wrist effortlessly.

“So spirited…” The man mused, smile very much like the cat that caught the canary.

He was tall, nearly three feet taller than Zoro, broad chest bare and blonde hair slicked back underneath a white bandana and _far too close_.

Jerking back, Hikari hissed at the unbroken grip holding her in place, the Skypiean chuckling at the startled yelp that escaped when he pulled the pinkette sharply against his chest, other arm an iron band around her waist.

“Where do you think you’re going, star-dragon?”

“Let me go!” She snarled back, pushing uselessly with her free hand and sandals digging up grass in an attempt to pull away. “Fucking _let go of me_ , you asshole!”

“Ah, I should introduce myself, shouldn’t I?” He considered with lazy arrogance, not seeming to notice her struggles. “After all, you came all this way to see me.”

Hikari froze, heart dropping like a stone, as the man dipped closer in a far-too-intimate gesture.

“I am the Almighty God Eneru, star-dragon, and I have come here to take you as my bride.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Placing her down gently, Chopper turned to look out at the jungle, taking a step towards Lassoo as Gina’s arms were slowly encased in iron scales, waiting...

Branches rustled against the breeze, and she lunged ahead of him as a massive bird burst out of the foliage with a squawk of flames.

“Iron Dragon’s Lance: Demon Logs!”

A swift downward stroke brought the purple-feathered creature safely above the spray of sharp metal, and Gina cursed as she rolled sideways to avoid a retaliatory blast of fire, Momoo roaring from beneath the Merry.

“Which of you is the sacrifice I get to kill?” The bird-rider demanded, his pointed moustache visible beneath his aviator helmet and goggles, small white wings fluttering against a brown leather jacket and gloved hands holding a lance leisurely against one shoulder.

“Is that why we’re here?” Gina bit back, Lassoo snarling as he leaped protectively in front of a panicking Chopper. “So you assholes could pick us off one by one while our captain fights his way here?”

“Did you know that this is a sacrificial altar?” The priest wondered, almost conversationally, and she glared.

“We figured.”

“It’s true. The rest of your group is desperately trying to get here. There are four separate areas that we, the priests, govern. The rule is that when the targets are in one area, the other priests aren’t supposed to do anything to the targets. But this sacrificial altar doesn’t belong to any of those areas. In other words, it’s a free area, so it doesn’t matter who strikes the ones at the altar. But it should be after those who’re receiving the ordeal in some area die.”

Chopper slapped a hand over his mouth, horrified, while every inch of Gina’s skin became armored.

“Are you saying you dumbasses managed to kill Luffy?”

“Don’t freak out.” He replied, at ease. “My coming here doesn’t mean your friends’ death, unfortunately. I came here for a different reason. The reason I came here is because, although those are the normal judgment rules, when there’s an exceptional situation, the rules change a little. For example, when four of the sacrifices escape to the forest over there without permission.”

Gina swallowed a torrent of curses, blood-red eyes locked on the enemy and ignoring Chopper’s dropped jaw.

“Someone has to die to atone for the others’ crime of escaping. Sacrifice is a fact of life. Especially if they are to come back, in order that they can more deeply realize their own fault when they see their friend’s death. So, who will offer their life to God?”

“You wanna fight, I’ll give you a fight.” The Iron Dragon promised, knuckles cracking. “Because you’re not touching my baby brother while I’m still breathing!”

The human-reindeer stared, frozen by this declaration, as she took a deep breath.

“Iron Dragon’s Roar!”

The Skypiean’s bird-steed whirled around the torrent of sharp-tipped metal, and Gina dropped halfway down the stairs to draw the answering stream of fire away from the Merry, palms spiked.

“Ah, knives.” He noted moments before the Iron Dragon whipped around.

“Iron Dragon’s Kunai!”

Dropping underneath the onslaught, he circled around calmly, utterly unruffled.

“I am Shura, a priest of Skypiea. My String Ordeal has a three-percent survival rate, and those much older and stronger than you have fallen to my lance.”

“You’ve never fought _me_ before.” Gina retorted, smirk sharp. “So let’s see how hard your ‘ordeal’ really is!”

Stone cracked as she pushed off hard into the air, arms shifting.

“Iron Dragon’s Club!”

Shura ducked neatly, his bird-steed spinning away when Gina tumbled head-over-heels for a second strike as she passed over them, slingshotting back with his lance-

Left hand morphing into a simple hook and chain, she caught it on a nearby branch that hung over the cloud-lake and yanked herself away from the blistering point, swinging up onto the sturdy bough before both arms turned into blades.

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Fractured Fury!”

Chopper watched, amazed, as she spun in a storm of slashes, each sparking off the length of Shura’s lance until his foot lashed out and caught on her belly.

The blow hardly hurt, but it was enough to push Gina back into open air with a curse, hooking a different tree to swing around the trunk and avoid a burst of fire.

Shura seemed to know what the other was going to do before _she_ did, dodging around every projectile and swing as if choreographed, his freer mobility in the air soon forcing Gina to retreat from tree to tree in avoidance of the fire and lance.

Spotting an opening on his right flank, the young dragon lunged-

And was suddenly caught midair, like a fly in a spider’s web, yelping at the feeling of thread tangling her limbs tight over a layer of scales.

“Shit-”

“Surrender your life to God!” Shura demanded, diving in with flames licking off his lance.

Eyes widening, Gina shifted her arms quickly into blades, twisting.

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style-”

A heartbeat away, two-

“DEMONIC DAMASCENE!”

Whatever held gave way, and she jerked sideways, hissing when that heated point speared her shoulder rather than her breast, melting right through scales before she pushed off, tumbling with a spray of blood to the cloud-lake below.

“GINA-CHAN!”

Chain rattling, she caught on the roots of a nearby tree and snapped away from a hungry sky-shark’s jaws, crashing into the moss-covered bark and scrabbling to grab hold.

“She’s hurt!” The Zoan panicked, flailing as she tore off a sleeve of her trench coat as a temporary bandage, red streaking down her right arm.

“Impressive, little dragon.” Shura complimented, circling like a vulture, and the Iron Dragon snarled. “No one has ever escaped my strings before. Let’s see if you can do it a second time.”

 _I have to help_ , Chopper realized then, heart hammering while his spine straightened with determination.

Lassoo, sensing the change, leaped onto his shoulder, already taking on gun-form.

“Cherry Blossom Blast!”

Shura turned his head, swerving just out of the baseball’s arc-

The Skypiean realized his error a moment too late when the projectile exploded less than a yard away, his bird-steed screeching in pain as it began to spiral out of control, and Gina lunged, fangs bared.

“Iron Dragon’s Lance!”

The points slashed down his left arm and glanced his hip on that side, blood spurting before he twisted to smack her away with the broad side of his lance, and Gina’s claws sunk two knuckles deep into a branch as Shura managed to right his mount.

Flashing Chopper a fanged smile, the Iron Dragon shifted to crouch on the bark, eyeing the priest like a snake must a mouse.

“Good shot, Chop! Got anymore?”

The human-reindeer smiled, a touch shaky but proud, and there was a thrum through the gun in his hands as he took aim.

“Don’t worry, Gina-chan! We’ll cover you! Cherry Blossom Blast!”

Giving the baseball a wide berth, Shura righted his lance as a stream of fire forced Gina to jump up onto a higher branch, scales starting to steam in the humid air as an explosion took out a pair of sky-sharks.

“Iron Dragon’s Kunai!”

“Cherry Blossom Barrage!”

Scowling, the Skypiean swerved and ducked and spun around the sudden hail of iron blades and exploding baseballs, the shockwaves ruffling his feathers and splintering trees.

“Cherry Blossom Blast!”

Shura sneered, diving under the projectile with contemptuous ease and spinning from a harpoon of iron-

Right into a clear glass sphere, pink liquid sloshing inside, and Chopper grinned as the casing cracked.

“Cherry Blossom Mirage.”

A blossom-colored fog erupted around a startled Shura, blinding him and filling his lungs like over-sweet perfume, and his bird bucked with a violent cough.

“What-?”

Iron blades crossed in front of him, sudden as a ghost, and Gina smirked.

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Karmic Cross!”

Momoo roared in triumph as the Skypiean flew out of the pink fog and through a monstrous tree, Chopper’s shoulders slumping when their opponent failed to rise.

“The String Ordeal, huh?” Gina grunted, landing on the altar’s steps with a sharp-toothed grin. “You’ll have to try harder to take down a Straw Hat Pirate. Right, Chop?”

“Gina-chan!” The human-reindeer burst, scrambling down the steps towards her while Lassoo turned to dog-form and clung to his back. “You’re bleeding! We need a doctor!”

“Chop, _you’re_ a doctor.”

“Oh, right!”

Gina chuckled as she was dragged up towards the top step, sitting heavily as Chopper raced onto the Going Merry for supplies while she stripped off her jacket and shirt to reveal the sluggishly-bleeding puncture on her right shoulder, the outside flesh bright red and already blistering against the dark material of her sports bra.

A couple had even burst, and the Straw Hats doctor flailed a bit before snapping into work-mode and carefully cleaning the damaged skin, soaking gauze in some sort of sharp-smelling fluid to pack the wound and generously spreading a burn salve over the irritated skin around it.

Closing her eyes, Gina let him work as the adrenaline ebbed away, ears no longer tuned in to immediate concerns-

Momoo _shrieked_ , and the stairs beneath them erupted into a cloud of debris, Chopper squeaking as his tiny Brain Point form was suddenly encased in scaled arms and Lassoo snarled, bristling from nose to tail.

“Fuck…”

“Kari!” He cried out in shock as dust cleared enough to reveal Hikari levering herself up from a crater in the stone, head snapping around to them with wide, bright gold eyes.

“Get ba-”

Electricity crackled in the air, and suddenly Eneru was there, pinning the pinkette down with an amused, smug smirk as Momoo rose up with a roar.

“It’s only natural for you to fight the inevitable.” He assured, as if the growling, struggling Hikari was an unruly child. “I would expect nothing less from the woman that will join with me as a Goddess, but as your future husband, you have no chance of winning.”

The Celestial Dragon _snarled_ , starlight bursting off her skin and searing the altar, Eneru reappearing with a CRACK of lightning safely out of range as she pulled out a pair of keys.

“Leo! Scorpio!”

“Regulus Gatling Impact!”

“Sand Spear!”

Without even blinking, the lightning-man zapped out of sight moments before the attacks could land, and Scorpio swore when he reappeared at Leo’s unprotected back, fingers becoming tongues of electricity-

“Celestial Dragon’s CANNON!”

The condensed ball of starlight surged past where his head had been, exploding through a copse of those monstrous trees in a spray of splinters and fragmented foliage, as Scorpio whipped around, armored tail-gun locking into position.

“Sand Buster!”

Hikari ducked into a split to avoid being grabbed from behind or getting caught in the attack, legs swinging up in a roundhouse kick.

“Celestial Dragon’s Claw!”

Chopper watched, dumbstruck, as key-holder and Spirits stayed on the offensive, a well-coordinated dance of sand and starlight, almost too fast for him to keep track of all at once.

And none of them touched Eneru.

He swerved and ducked and side-stepped every blow, electricity crackling off his skin and with that smug smile on his face, unintimidated in the face of a furious dragon and _two_ Zodiac Celestial Spirits.

This was all a game, and he was just playing along until it was no longer fun.

“Celestial Dragon’s Whip!”

The coils twisted, slicing through stone and sprays of water, and the nerves down Hikari’s back _screamed_.

“Hime!”

“Thirty Million Volt Hino!”

The flash was so bright it was nearly blinding, and she cried out at being shoved away, seeing the dark-suited figure of her Lion Spirit a moment before he was enveloped in the hawk-shaped blast.

“LEO!”

“Sand Wall!”

The barrier solidified moments before shattering like glass, and Hikari hissed as arcs of electricity scorched across her left side, arm and leg and hip going numb.

“Kiten!”

She twisted, trying to dodge the lightning-wolf’s jaws-

Hands clamped on her waist, tossing the startled key-holder up towards the Merry, and she saw the Scorpion Spirit disappear in the surge, stone vaporizing underneath him.

“SCORPIO!”

Landing hard on the top step, jarring up her numb-tingling nerves, Hikari barely had a moment to breathe before a foot pressed hard on her ribs, Eneru shaking his head as if disappointed.

“Entertaining as this is, star-dragon, I don’t have time left to indulge you.” He stated, holding out a hand crackling into lightning. “You’ll see things my way soon enough. One Million Vo-”

“Iron Dragon’s Club!”

The ‘God’ tilted his head to avoid having his teeth smashed in, hand moving to aim at Gina without even looking.

“One Million Volt Vari.”

And Gina _screamed_ , the lightning arcing up her iron-scaled arms until they glowed white-hot and searing-

A roar of celestial light burst from Hikari in a Roar, forcing the Logia to step back, and Gina fell to her knees as steam rose from her arms, Chopper crying when his hands were repelled by the sheer heat.

“How insolent.” Eneru scolded, smirk fading around the edges. “If you insist on interfering, I’ll wipe you out. Sango!”

Hikari moved without thinking, the dragon in her chest _shrieking_ , and all that went through her mind were Gina’s wide eyes, Chopper’s tears, Lassoo’s howl, Momoo’s roar, the reflection of lightning off Merry’s windows-

And she swallowed.

Every volt slammed into her gut like a hammer-blow, sizzling through her blood, every muscle spasming and locking as if a thunderstorm had burst to life in her chest.

“ _KARI_!!!”

Momoo wailed, lunging for Eneru with an open maw as Hikari stumbled back, dazed.

A flash of lightning, and the sea-cow nearly collapsed on Gina and Chopper, unconscious and smoking, and Eneru raised his hand.

“Enough. El Thor!”

Hikari’s pupils dilated to dark ovals, bracing herself.

The radius was far too wide, that column of lightning would take out the whole cloud-lake, the altar and the Going Merry with it-

Chopper could only watch, horrified, as she forced every last lick of electricity down her throat, legs going shaky and bones numb before falling as the last arc disappeared with a faint CRACK.

Gina stared, blood still in her ears as if the whole world had stopped…

“Such a stubborn woman.” Eneru voiced with a put-upon sigh, appearing next to the fallen Celestial Dragon. “I’ll have to teach her obedience.”

And the silence cracked.

Chopper went mute with terror as the red-hot scales along Gina’s arms grew, sharpening into wicked spikes and spreading rapidly across her scarred skin like thick armored plating, face shifting to make room for a second layer of shearing fangs as small, twisted horns sprouted along her brow like a rough crown of iron.

Gina _roared_ , a beast of the earth awoken from her slumber, and Eneru finally turned to acknowledge her.

Claws dug into the stone altar, pillars of iron bursting out to spear the ‘God’ open before he flickered in a flash of lightning, the points stopping bare inches from Hikari’s prone form, reappearing behind the Iron Dragon and tapping two of the drums at his back.

“Sixty Million Volt Julungul.”

Chopper had to close his eyes and turn away to keep from being blinded, tumbling back into Lassoo’s side and blinking stars away to find Gina sprawled on the damaged altar, steaming and still.

Slanting the little reindeer a look, electricity snapped across Eneru’s shoulders like a gathering storm.

“Will you defy God, as well?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zoro felt it in his bones the moment he saw a copse of fallen trees by the cloud-lake’s edge, splinters scorched and shoreline having fallen away.

Passing Robin, the swordsman froze in sight of the altar, stomach dropping.

The stairs themselves were half-gone, the top deeply cracked and sporting iron spikes through the foundation, the Going Merry floating silently on its cloud over an unconscious Momoo without a single other soul in sight.

_Where was Kari?_

“Kari-chan!” Nami called, concern filling her face. “Gina! Chopper! Lassoo! Where are you?!”

“I wonder if they were torn limb from limb.” Robin voiced casually, but Zoro saw the hard line of her mouth before Nami spun around.

“Stop saying scary things!”

“HEY!” He bellowed, unable to stand this horrible waiting. “Kari! Are you there?! Did something happen?!”

A shadow moved on the deck, and all three felt their blood run cold as Chopper stumbled into view, bandaged from head to hoof and crying.

“Zoro…” He blubbered, heartbroken enough that the swordsman felt like Mihawk had sliced him open all over again, and he knew.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset painted the sky fiery colors amid the smoke of distant explosions, and Luffy grinned when the Milky Road their Crow was riding on crested a massive tree and sent them speeding down a drop.

“Hm? There’s something there.” Sanji voiced calmly, taking in the cloud-lake waiting below as Usopp latched onto him.

“There they are! Are they priests?!”

“No, they’re sky-sharks!” Luffy cheered, hopping onto the figurehead.

“Oh, just sky-sharks, not priests...Hey, hey, hey, seriously?! They’re huge! We’re gonna be swallowed!”

The rubber captain just giggled, arms stretching back as said sky-sharks came into range.

“Gum Gum Gatling!”

Bursting into calm water, the Crow bobbed along and Luffy popped back up from his thorough soaking at the sight before them.

“Hey, look! We found it! The Going Merry! That’s the altar!”

But the moment he spotted Zoro sitting alone on the devastated steps, his grin fell away.

_Where was Kari?_

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We tried to stop him…” Chopper sniffled, bandaged up like a mummy and still twitching with latent shocks as he was carefully cuddled on Robin’s lap. “But…”

“Damn it…” Gina hissed weakly, prone on a spare futon and wincing when the slightest move had red blossoming across her bandages.

Knuckles white on Wado’s hilt, Zoro dropped a hand on her hair, and the Iron Dragon released a low keen that further shadowed Luffy’s face.

“How dare he?!” Sanji raged, almost bursting into flames of righteous fury. “To not only attack Hikari-hime, but... _How dare he_?!”

“He hurt Kari?” Their captain voiced, expression dangerously blank, and Chopper nodded as Lassoo slit an eye open from where he was sprawled, bandaged just as thoroughly as the other two and barely twitching an ear to listen.

“Is Kari gonna be okay?”

“Kari’s strong.” Nami assured, though the redness of her lower lip gave away how anxious the navigator was. “He got the better of her once, but so did Arlong and Crocodile.”

“What if she died?” Usopp blubbered, nearly fainting when Luffy, Zoro and Sanji turned to him with glares.

“NO WAY!!!”

“He isn’t far off…” Gina admitted, voice rough as gravel and breath almost whistling through her fangs, and Robin leaned closer.

“What do you mean?”

“She ate lightning.” The young dragon reminded them, and Usopp frowned.

“Light, lightning, they’re pretty much the same thing, right?”

“They’re not.” She denied, blinking hazily for a moment before pushing through the pain. “Kari...She’s a Celestial Dragon, so her bodies’ made to absorb celestial light...like I’m made to ingest iron...A dragon that tries to eat another element...it’s a one-in-a-million chance that they live to see the next morning…”

Usopp and Chopper burst into waterfalls of tears as Nami covered her mouth, eyes wide and wet.

“SHE’S DEAD!!!”

“She’s not dead.” Luffy stated stonily, implacable as the sea itself on a still day. “That one-in-a-million chance...That’s all Kari needs.”

“Too stubborn to die.” Zoro agreed, grip easing on his sword. “Be pissed, though.”

“I can’t believe she actually lost…” Nami admitted, hands shaking until she clasped them together. “Even in Alubarna...How much pain did he put her through?”

That thought quieted the crew, even the Going Merry failing to creak around them, before the sky seemed to flicker with light.

After a moment, an image solidified, and Gina jerked under Zoro’s touch with a snarl as Chopper froze, scrambling at Robin’s arm while Lassoo and Momoo howled.

“It’s God!”

“Hello, mortals.” Eneru greeted lazily, the very picture of arrogant pride, as his voice echoed across all of Upper Yard. “Congratulations surviving your ordeal, Blue Sea dwellers. Welcome to Upper Yard, Shandians. You’re all in time for my newest survival game.”

Sanji burst to his feet, the air wavering around him like a heat-mirage.

“Where’s Hikari-hime, you scoundrel?!”

“The four of you that survive tomorrow will receive a front row seat to a divine occasion. After all, I’m sure my new bride will want to see some of you Blue Sea dwellers on her wedding day.”

The last image burned in Luffy’s eyes was Eneru’s smug smile, as if he was taunting them, before the sky went dark once more.

This was no longer an adventure, a treasure hunt for gold and exploration.

Now, this was personal.

“We’re going to find that God.” Luffy decided, meeting the demonic rage in Zoro’s eyes with his own. “And I’m going to kick his ass.”


	21. Skypiea Arc: Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!
> 
> This ended up being much shorter than I expected, so here it is! This is a set-up chapter, because the next one is going to involve a lot more action. Hopefully, this tides you over.
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

When Gan Fall spotted the Going Merry on Upper Yard’s sacrificial altar, night already settling into the trees, he knew something was wrong.

The cloud-lake was placid, no fins heralding sky-sharks cutting across the surface, and no priests circling in preparation to kill off the young pirates that had called for him.

Pierre landed on the railing, feathers ruffling at the serious expressions that greeted them from the previously fairly cheery, laidback crew.

A crew that was clearly missing a member.

“Eneru took our Kari.” Luffy began, voice firm and devoid of any laughter.

“So you’re going to tell us everything you know about this ‘God’.” Zoro continued, Wado clicking from its sheathe.

“Whether you want to or not.” Sanji agreed, the click of his lighter almost ominous.

Gan Fall looked over this small crew, from the glaring navigator to the scowling sniper to the teary-eyed doctor to the stony archaeologist to the growling Iron Dragon, and dismounted.

“I suppose you deserve to know, after going through the ordeal.” He conceded, heart heavy. “Where would you like me to start?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Consciousness returned in jagged chunks, like pieces of bone being snapped back into their proper place, and Hikari groaned at the pinpricks burrowing through every muscle, blinking blearily.

Faint light filtered through a sheer golden canopy, painting the fluffy gold-patterned comforter and silken black sheets with strange shadows, a thick pelt of white fur half-covering her legs under all of it, the mattress luxuriously soft and conforming against the aching curves of her body.

The pinkette’s brain, half-full of cotton as it was, took a few long moments to register that _this was not her bed_ and lurch fully awake, hissing at the pain and how the sheets tried to tangle as adrenaline roared through her blood.

Then she yelped, pressing the pelt to her chest, at finding that she was _naked_ under the covers, heart racing.

“What the _fuck_?!”

Memories rushed back, of Upper Yard and the altar and Gina and Chopper, and Hikari felt sick at the thought that Eneru had _stripped her naked_ while she was unconscious before panic sparked.

_My keys!_

A hand went to her breasts, finding the familiar weight gone, and rage swamped everything else.

“That _motherfucking son of a bitch_!”

Pelt in hand- _mostly because a little voice in her head that sounded a lot like Zoro shouted “Damn it, woman, put on a shirt!”_ -as she shoved the canopy aside, the pinkette growled while practically leaping off the bed, turning what must have once been a wolf’s fur into a makeshift dress, hair loose and falling over her shoulders.

The room was extravagant, with gold-hued marble walls and silken drapes and a thick, plush black carpet, a low couch covered in dark gold velvet sitting on dark wooden legs opposite the matching bed, everything from the wardrobe to the nightstands to the pillows gold and opulent to the point of sheer _obnoxiousness_ -

A jolt, a wave of goosebumps, and heavy hands gripped her by the hips, Eneru smirking as he leaned into the pinkette’s space.

“Welcome, star-dragon. Did you sleep well?”

“Where are my keys?” She snapped back, trying to pull away and tensing when a hand slid up lazily to cup her throat, thumb brushing idly over a racing pulse.

“Now, is that any way to talk to your future husband?”

“You are _not_.” Hikari snarled, eyes flashing gold. “And if you think I’ll go along with _any_ of it, you’re stupider than I thought.”

Tipping her head back, Eneru leaned down far too close, amused.

“Your defiance is adorable, star-dragon. Do you know how many women have wished to be where you are now?”

“Then get one of them.” The pinkette snapped, knuckles going white against the knot at her breast as his free hand pet at her hip.

“Do you know why I chose you, star-dragon?”

“Masochism.” She snarked immediately, glare molten gold and fierce, and Eneru smirked.

“Here I am, in the final hours before my ascension to Fairy Vearth, and who should arrive in Skypiea but a star-maiden...One who can open the true gates to my future domain.”

Hikari bit back a scream when his hand came up to suddenly press on her stomach, pulling the key-holder roughly back and off her feet.

The mattress nearly swallowed her, sheets flying, and the dragon snarled when a heavy weight pinned her down, a large hand catching both wrists and holding them above her head even while she kicked uselessly.

“I meant to only use you as a means to fulfill my goal.” Eneru admitted, holding Hikari’s jaw before she could try biting his nose off. “But the moment I laid eyes on you, it was clear you were meant to be mine.”

“You’re _delusional_.” The pinkette hissed, and the ‘God’ chuckled at the way she bucked against his hold when a hand slid reverently down the soft skin of her throat to press tauntingly against the messy knot at her cleavage.

“So rebellious…”

Hikari roared when his teeth clamped on her neck, twisting and kicking and digging her claws into the sheets.

“So sweet…”

Long fingers moved to touch the exposed skin of her inner thigh-

A crack of lightning, and he watched as the bed exploded into splinters and feather down and scraps of fabric, smoldering embers hanging in the air as Hikari lurched to her feet, pupils feral red slits and scales glittering like armor across vulnerable skin.

“ _Don’t_. _Touch_. _Me_.”

Eneru considered the enraged dragon for a moment before sighing, head tilting as if hearing some faint sound.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have time to indulge in you as I would like. I have a survival game to monitor, and you have a wedding to prepare for.”

Large double doors opened on well-oiled hinges, allowing a silent servant to step through, head bowed and wearing a plain gray shift.

“You know what to do.”

She bowed deeply, murmuring a respectful agreement, and Eneru smirked at the way Hikari bristled, glare firmly locked on his face.

“I’ll enjoy seeing you at the wedding altar, star-dragon.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So when Upper Yard was tossed here by the Knock-Up Stream, your people drove the Shandians off their land.” Robin summarized, flowering hands pressing gently on Gina’s chest to keep the injured dragon from leaping to her feet. “But you kept the key-holder, the star-maiden. Why?”

“True heaven is not in the clouds.” Gan Fall intoned solemnly, quietly accepting their upset. “Her keys opened gateways to the stars that hang over even _our_ island, and their power was enough to convince my predecessor that she was one of God’s true children calling the guards of heaven to her defense. He took her as a bride, intending for her gift to be passed onto their children…”

“But none of them were key-holders.” Nami realized, remembering what Conis had said. “Since this part of Jaya got here, there haven’t been any others, right?”

“Yes. Some believe it to be a curse that the star-maiden placed on us for exiling her fellow Shandians from their home, forever cutting us off from the true God. However…”

“What?” Usopp worried, wringing his hands at the sudden hesitation.

“There _is_ an old belief that the star-maiden will eventually return to Skypiea and ascend the worthy to heaven, casting the rest from the clouds and down to the Blue Seas, as part of God’s judgement…”

“Yeah, _that_ doesn’t sound ominous as hell…” Gina drawled, Zoro tapping his thumb against Sandai Kitetsu’s hilt with a frown.

“The moment Kari summoned Moro, they knew.”

“And so did God!” Usopp added, starting to flail. “He sees everything, right?! So he knew Kari was a key-holder then, too! This was all planned!”

“That pervert!” Sanji raved, pacing between fiery wrath and tear-drowned despair. “He took one look at Hikari-hime’s beauty and decided to force his evil desires on her!”

“Stupid.” Luffy declared, cheeks puffing up angrily. “Kari’s gonna marry me and Zoro!”

“O-Oi!” The swordsman sputtered, ears turning bright red as the cook face-planted.

“What?”

“Focus!” Nami barked, knocking their captain upside the head while Usopp nodded rapidly.

“Yeah! We need to have a plan! This is God we’re talking about! We can’t just go charging in there without a way to get off this island!”

“So what are you thinking?” Gina wondered, petting Chopper’s head as he leaned into her side, Lassoo snuffling at his hat.

“We need to split up.” Their navigator instructed, pulling out a chalkboard where she quickly outlined Upper Yard. “One team to get Kari from the base here, and another team to bring the Merry to the shore here, for a quick getaway.”

“I call the Merry!” Usopp called, hand already raised.

“I’m shocked.” Gina deadpanned. “Shocked, I say. Who could have predicted this.”

“I’m going to kick Eneru’s ass!” Luffy declared, scowling, and Zoro nodded.

“Kari’s probably already saving herself, but we should be there to clean up.”

“I’m going.”

All eyes turned to Gina, who glared back defiantly.

“I’m not gonna sit with my thumbs up my ass waiting for you to get back! She-”

The Iron Dragon choked, a low whine caught deep inside, as tears wavered in her eyes.

“She _saved_ me! I wouldn’t have _anything_ if she hadn’t risked her life to do that! How can I not try to do the same thing?!”

Luffy grinned, the expression ferally pleased, as Chopper rocked onto his hooves.

“Me, too! We took down one of those priests, we can do it again! Kari needs us!”

“Damn it…” Zoro muttered, unable to help the pride flashing in his eyes as Lassoo howled in agreement. “Just don’t die, or Kari’ll kill us.”

Shaking her head, Nami still marked their names on the ‘rescue’ team.

“Sanji, you’re coming with us, right?”

The poor cook froze mid-step, visibly stuck between being Nami’s protector and playing white knight for Hikari, and the navigator purposely batted her eyes.

“I’d feel much safer if you were there…”

“Of course, Nami-san!” He noodled immediately. “Anything for you!”

“I will go to this temple as well.” Robin decided, glancing down at a downtrodden Momoo as she brushed a hand over the altar. “If I’m right, there is plenty of history there to discover, as well.”

“Alright, so we’re agreed?” Nami clarified, the crew nodding before Luffy stood, looking over them with a fierce excitement.

“Then let’s go save Kari!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The private bath in God’s Shrine was just as gold and pretentious as the bedroom had been, the floors and walls slick gold stone, an elaborate fountain made to look like giant South Birds and trees spilling hot water from the tips of branches in waves of steam.

“Are you sure, my lady?” The servant worried, hesitating at the cracked door, and Hikari forced a smile even as her stomach twisted.

“I can clean myself. Go and...figure out the dress.”

Fussing with the hem of her own dress, the poor woman nodded, bowing deeply before hustling out, murmuring about lace and bodices and crowns as the lock engaged with a CLICK.

Shoulders slumping, Hikari sighed as she dropped on the baths’ raised edge, fingers curling into fists.

If Conis and Pagaya were scared of their ‘God’, then the servants here were _terrified_ , twitching at even the slightest hint of dissent and always looking over their shoulders as if expecting to be struck down for some sort of insubordinate thought.

Hikari could not muster up any ill will for the servant that led her here, not when she was clearly frantic over planning a wedding where even the slightest miscalculation would end with her death.

_How could she blame her, when Eneru made clear he would do what he wanted anyway?_

Shuddering at the memory of his touch, the pinkette dove into the water, scrubbing hard to get every last bit of acrid ozone scent off her skin.

Even the slightest trace made her stomach roll, dragon snarling, and she just-

The fountain cracked when Hikari’s fist smashed into the base, splitting into three uneven pieces as their contents now spurted every which way.

Chest heaving, she lifted a hand to brush back sodden pink curls-

And pressed against the bruise at her throat, steadying.

 _This isn’t the first time some asshole has tried this_ , she reminded herself, stepping away from the misting rain now falling and out of the bath. _I can get out of this, just like I did then_.

The memory of Gina’s scream and Chopper’s tears hardened the key-holder’s resolve as she snatched up a towel, drying briskly.

 _Eneru was **not** going to get away with that_.

Knotting the towel at her breasts, Hikari dug around and found a pair of thin, decorative chopsticks, pressing an ear to the door and listening closely.

Slowly, the slosh of water and the patter of false rain faded out...

There was no shift of cloth or creak of wood on the other side, no fluttering pulses of blood or harried breaths, and the dragon slid her makeshift tools into the lock.

While not as suited as her lockpicks, they manipulated the mechanism easily enough, and she was stepping out into the hallway a couple minutes later, glancing both ways while twisting the chopsticks into her quick ponytail.

The entire palace smelled oppressively like burnt ozone, and she suppressed the urge to sneeze, quietly wishing to wash it out with butterscotch and sea salt, before focusing on her keys.

_Aquarius?_

There was a tug in the back of her mind, a quiet _this way_ , and Hikari headed left, alert for any possible servants or guards that must be around somewhere.

_They obviously thought there was no point in posting one at her door, because who would defy God?_

A soft murmur pulled Hikari up short, and there was a clang of metal on metal that caused a quick squeak of fright to follow immediately after.

“What’s gotten into her today? Normally, the brat’s quiet as a ghost.”

“No idea.”

Bare feet whisper-quiet on the polished floors, the pinkette creeped up to the corner and peered around carefully, spotting two goat-looking Skypieans standing in front of a heavy steel door.

There was no handle or knob or chain on the outside, just a smooth surface that perfectly filled its frame...

The keen that warbled through set off a firework of instincts in Hikari’s mind, a surge of _young hurt **protect**_ , and next thing she knew, the two guards were embedded in the walls, electricity crackling off her fists.

For a moment, the pinkette froze at the flashes of gold lightning across her skin, heart doing a horrible flip, before the dragon in her chest rumbled deeply.

 _This is **ours** now_.

Taking a deep breath, the lightning faded back into her flesh, bones still tingling and muscles aching.

 _What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger_.

“Celestial Dragon’s Iron Fist.”

The door crumpled like cheap aluminum, once, twice-

Releasing that breath, Hikari rolled her shoulders as she tossed the useless hunk aside, cataloguing the room automatically.

This one was almost oppressively small, the walls so close that spreading her arms would hardly be necessary to touch from one side to the other, made of rough island-cloud rather than wood or stone, and absolutely bare-

Except for the little girl curled up against the far wall and staring at her with big, slit-pupil silver eyes.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, I’ve been wondering…” Usopp voiced, once the Going Merry was safely in the cloud-lake and readying to embark on their mission. “Are there dragons here?”

Gan Fall froze mid-step towards the railing, turning as if he had seen a ghost, and Robin watched the proceedings quietly as Nami grumbled, reading their maps by lamplight to find the best routes.

“Dragons?”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it since we ran into those White Berets.” The sharpshooter elaborated, oblivious. “They knew Kari was a dragon when she fought them, and most people wouldn’t know that unless they knew about dragons, right? Don’t tell me there are a bunch waiting out there to eat us!”

“There are no longer dragons on the cloud-islands.”

Luffy paused in his preparatory stretching at the ominous tone in Gan Fall’s voice, Zoro glancing up from watching Chopper carefully load Lassoo up on the new ammunition that their sniper had helped concoct.

“But there _were_ dragons.” Robin stated coolly, hearing Sanji’s steps in the kitchen above stop as Gina froze, half a sword breaking off in her fangs.

“Sky Dragons made the islands here their territory centuries ago.” Gan Fall explained, Pierre hopping over and leaning in as a support. “The clan were guardians and healers…When Upper Yard came to us, the Sky Dragons disapproved of what we did to the Shandians and protected them from my predecessor’s attempts to wipe them out.”

Nami was surprised at the open grief of his face in the lamplight, Lassoo shaking out his ears with a whine as Chopper turned.

“Saku was one of my dearest friends...It was her that helped me try to make peace with the Shandians, before…”

“Before Eneru.” Zoro finished, grip tight on Wado’s hilt as Gan Fall nodded.

“The first thing Eneru did when he came to Skypiea…was wipe out the Sky Dragons.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The girl was small, a good foot shorter than Hikari at least, and fine-boned as a bird, skin pale from lack of sunlight and almost sickly against the dark gray scrap of a dress she wore, her hair a dark blue, like lapis lazuli, that fell in messy pigtails over her shoulders.

Her wings seemed oversized in comparison, wrapping around her curled body like shields, a soft blue with each feathered scale tipped in sunset oranges and yellows with threads of ice, the ears half-hidden in her hair resembling those of a cat, the scales looking softer, more like fur.

A low hiss drew Hikari’s attention downward, and she blinked at a tiny white cat, fur bristling and fluffy twin tails lashing as she yowled a warning, eyes a demonic red with dark irises.

That was when the pinkette noticed a tiny hole in one of the wall seams, just big enough for such a small creature to wriggle through, and that seemed to crack through her shock.

“Hello…” She greeted softly, slowly kneeling on the threshold as a low purr rolled from her chest. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you…”

The girl trembled, tense as a bow-string, and a soft coo tumbled free from the dragon in Hikari’s chest that made those cat-like ears twitch before a nervous little yip came back.

Heart twisting in her chest at that sound, at the _are you real?_ , Hikari swallowed down a wail and a growl to croon instead, an _I’ll protect you_ from one dragon to another that had those big eyes suddenly shimmering in the half-light.

The cat blinked at a blur suddenly flying over her head, and Hikari caught the missile of feather-scaled wings and tangled hair that crashed into her chest, swaying easily with the sudden weight from so much experience as she wrapped the girl up in a hug, purring loudly in response to the high keen that escaped.

 _It’s okay now_ , she crooned back, rocking gently side to side. _It’s okay, I’m here now, don’t be scared, I’ll protect you_.

And the girl cried, great gasping sobs that were wrenched from her soul, burying herself against warm, damp skin as large gold-silver-scaled wings came around like shields against the whole world.

 _I believe you_.


	22. Skypiea Arc: Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> And we've reached the climax of the Skypiea Arc! FINALLY!
> 
> I've actually been considering an...adult scene in the next chapter, but I'm iffy on how you would feel about that. It's one thing to add kisses and such, another to put in sex in a series that doesn't have any. Let me know in the comments!
> 
> Hopefully, you're all doing well and not going crazy in quarantine. This story has been keeping me sane, and I hope it does the same for all of you.
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

When the tears ran out and the hiccups faded, Hikari carefully gathered the young dragon up onto her hip and stood, unable to help a little smile when the cloud-cat mewed sharply.

“Come on.” She whispered, stepping back out into the hallway. “I need to get my keys.”

Eyeing the pinkette for a moment, the feline nodded before hopping up onto a shoulder, sniffing at her friend’s face as Hikari glanced both ways, checking that the guards were still unconscious.

_Aquarius?_

The tug this time was stronger, and she turned left, alert for any unexpected footsteps or voices.

There was an anxiety in Aquarius’ presence, the shortening distance allowing each a clearer idea of what the other was feeling, and Hikari started to feel first Virgo, then Leo, Aries and Scorpio prodding at their own bonds among a clamor from Happy, Carla, Pantherlily, Horologium, Nikora, Pyxus, Kurama, Eisaku and Moro.

The key-holder could hardly blame them for being worried, given what had happened back at the altar, and tried to project calm back as their voices began to come through.

 _Brat, don’t ignore me_ -

 _Hime_ -

 _I’ll kill him for touching you_ -

 _I’m so sorry, little hime_ -

 _Sumimasen, are you alright_ -

Hikari was drawn to a door on her right three hallways down, the knob turning without resistance in her hand, and stepped inside what could only be a trophy room.

There were various weapons and masks set up on stands or hanging from the walls, handles worn soft with use and blades shined from frequent sharpening rather than being newly-forged, and there, tied together with a familiar green bandana, was her keyring.

“Thank the stars.” The pinkette breathed, a knot deep in her chest finally loosening as she rushed to grab them, metal cool against the skin over her racing heart.

Twilight-purple eyes blinked up at Hikari, fur-scaled ears twitching, and she chirped softly.

“Okay.” The key-holder breathed out, straightening as she looked over the room more closely. “Okay.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Burns freshly tended and stomach full of scrap metal, Gina followed as Luffy and Zoro stalked through the jungle of Upper Yard, only Robin’s blooming hands keeping them on the right track towards Giant Jack.

Chopper and Lassoo peeked around her legs, nervous at the clear aura of single-minded _death_ radiating from their captain and swordsman, and she could hardly blame them.

It was easy to forget, with how silly Luffy could be and how Zoro napped pretty much everywhere like a cat, but there was a reason Nami and Usopp called them ‘monsters’.

A prickle traveled up her spine, and Gina went still, head cocking just so as human-reindeer and dog-gun knocked into her legs.

“Ow!” Chopper yelped, toppling over in his Brain Point before scrambling back up. “Gina-chan? What’s wrong?”

Luffy paused up ahead, Zoro glancing back with sharp eyes, when Lassoo’s ears flicked back and he _growled_.

A tremor shook the ground under their feet, and Gina hardly registered the pair of furry weights now clinging to her back as massive blue-striped coils rose up around the trees, revealing the fang-lined maw of a gargantuan snake suddenly blocking their way forward.

“Iron Dragon’s Lance: Demon Logs!”

The serpent reared back, screeching when a few of the sharp points wedged between its scales like splinters, and Gina immediately turned with her new cargo.

“RUN!”

A pair of disembodied legs kicked Luffy and Zoro into a run away from the beast, which gave chase with an enraged shriek, and Robin glanced back in awe.

“What size! Is this also a result of the sky-island’s environment?”

“Don’t know, don’t care!” Gina bit out, vaulting over a trunk-sized root in her way while Chopper blubbered in fear. “Don’t stop!”

Their pursuer lunged, and the group scattered, the Iron Dragon twisting to protect Chopper and Lassoo from the fall as those fangs sunk into the house-wide trunk of a tree ahead.

“How the hell can something so big move so fast?!” Zoro groused from a branch overhead, eyes going wide as a horrible-smelling steam rose.

“For the record…” Gina voiced, pale even under her scars as the snake retreated to reveal most of the wood it had bitten was melted away. “That does _not_ look fun.”

“Yikes!” Luffy agreed, swinging up higher before waving his arms. “Hey! Poisonous snake! Over here! Follow me! Your food’s running away!”

Taking advantage of the opening, the Iron Dragon took off in the opposite direction, weaving through the underbrush as this massive serpent went wild in pursuit of their captain.

“GINA-CHAN!”

With a curse, she ducked sideways, swerving around a sudden canyon that was cut into the dirt and glaring back as three goat-like men appeared in the branches overhead, skate-like wavers propelling them forward.

“Divine Soldiers, huh?”

“Shandians!” Chopper warned, pointing ahead as a trio of winged, leather-clad men on similar wavers appeared in their path.

Spotting a- _comparatively_ -small, springy sapling to one side, Gina formed a grappling hook from one hand, the chain rattling as she threw it and the trunk bending accommodatingly.

“Hold on!”

Human-reindeer and dog-gun squeaked when their anchor suddenly snapped back upright and sent all three flying through the canopy, iron scales forming underneath thick bandages.

“Iron Dragon’s ROAR!”

The force pushed back against gravity, slowing their descent as the branches thinned, knocking aside any that hung in their way until she landed hard feet-first onto cobblestones.

The rock cracked deeply, cratering for a good two yards around, and Chopper blinked through the haze of dust as it settled, taking in the vine-strangled walls and overgrown streets while Lassoo almost melted off Gina’s shoulders.

“These are the ruins around Giant Jack?” He realized, hopping down onto a slumped dog-gun’s shoulders. “Where is everyone? Did we get here first? Yay! We’re the first!”

Snickering, Gina watched as he danced in place, momentarily taken over by the joy of success.

“Hey! Guys! Is anyone here? It’s us! If you’re here, say-”

Chopper yelped when he was suddenly grabbed up in iron-plated arms.

“Where…”

Lassoo whipped around ahead of them with bared fangs, bristling from nose to tail, as Gina glanced over a shoulder to glare at the tall, gangly Skypiean in a purple suit with black dreadlocks that had appeared behind them.

“Where did you go?! Where did you disappear to?!”

Chopper peeked over as she stepped away, turned to guard him with her uninjured side, wide-eyed.

“Oh, his eyes are rolled back in his head! That’s so scary!”

“Gedatsu-sama!” A Divine Soldier called out with the sort of resignation they recognized from Hikari about Luffy’s antics. “You cannot see the enemy with your eyes rolled back!”

“How careless of me!”

“Who the fuck is this guy?” Gina blurted, thrown off by this level of _cluelessness_ that not even Luffy had ever reached as he loomed over them, doing a strange motion with his arms in absolute silence.

“Gedatsu-sama! They cannot hear you unless you speak out loud!”

“How careless of me!”

“Is that something you normally forget?!” Chopper retorted, dumbstruck.

“You had best watch your step!” Gedatsu claimed, striking a new pose as the Iron Dragon watched on, unimpressed. “This area is already my territory! We are surrounded by swamp-clouds! Once you’re caught by one, there is no way to escape on your own! The survival rate here is fifty percent-How careless of me!”

“Swamp?” Chopper echoed, dropping onto the ground to not-hide behind her leg.

“The Swamp Ordeal!”

“You’re sinking.” Gina deadpanned, watching as the priest was slowly enveloped from the legs up without noticing.

“Fools! It has no effect on me! Swamp-Cloud Milky Dials!”

The island-cloud burst underfoot as Gedatsu rocketed back up in a blinding gray spray, a quick Cherry Blossom Blast from Lassoo clearing the air so they could see what was going on.

“He’s shooting stuff out of his feet to fly!” Chopper realized. “So cool!”

“Gonna be less cool in a second.” Gina predicted when the priest stopped in midair, more of this swamp-cloud coalescing between his palms.

“Take this! With the weight of a cloud, and the properties of a swamp! Once you touch it, there is no hope for survival! Swamp-Cloud Burger!”

Iron Dragon and human-reindeer watched as the lump of gray condensed moisture was thrown back over his head instead of forward.

“Gedatsu-sama! No! I’m not the one you’re-”

The Divine Soldier’s head was swallowed inside, and Chopper watched, horrified, as his resulting struggles caused the cloud to envelop him like an anaconda must its prey.

“Swamp-Cloud Burger!”

“Iron Dragon’s Roar!”

The mass of swamp-cloud was shredded by the rotating gale of iron shards, and Gedatsu flailed right at a spray of Kunai as Chopper and Lassoo scrambled over to the fallen Divine Soldier to drag him free by a leg each.

“Hey!” The little doctor shouted, taking on his Heavy Point when no response came to flip over his new patient and smash his lungs into working order. “BREATHE! Don’t die!”

Gina glanced over, shoulders slumping at the heaving cough this elicited.

“I owe you my life…”

“Being saved by an enemy…” Gedatsu stated as he landed, stoic in the face of her snarl as Lassoo leaped back to his feet. “Pathetic! And you call yourself one of the fifty Skypiean Divine Soldiers who serve God?!”

“How dare you speak that way?!” The Divine Soldier retorted, taking his own stance. “You’ll pay! I’ll never serve you again! I’ll make you prey for my Axe Dial!”

“Alright, we can do it!” Chopper agreed, hefting Lassoo onto his shoulder as the dog-gun shifted to his weapon form. “Let’s fight together!”

“Enemy of our enemy is our friend, right?” Gina considered, sharpening her claws. “At least until the asshole’s dead.”

“Very well. Jet Punch!”

And suddenly Gedatsu _moved_ , his former subordinate now buried in the ruins beyond.

“The destructive Jet Dial!” The priest explained, elbow visibly steaming through the ruined fabric of his sleeve. “If you accelerate your punch with it, your opponent doesn’t even have the time to feel his own defeat. Though the fact that it rips clothing is a problem…”

Chopper was frozen in place, trembling, when an iron-plated palm pressed against his arm.

In this Point, Gina had to look up to meet his eyes, that calm red of her own easing the Zoan’s racing heartbeat.

“We can beat him.” She promised, offering a hand. “Together.”

Through the slowed pounding in his ears, the memory of their short-lived victory back on the altar, just her and him and Lassoo, bubbled up and steeled Chopper’s nerves as their hands came together in a firm knot.

“Together.”

“Jet Punch!”

“Iron Dragon’s Club!”

Gedatsu was forced to pull back his momentum and swerve to avoid smashing face-first into the column of iron as Chopper rolled the other way, coming up with Lassoo at the ready.

“Cherry Blossom Blast!”

The force sent him tumbling, and Gina pressed their advantage, arms shifting into swords as bandages trailed from her elbows in tatters.

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Fractured Fury!”

Righting himself, the priest dodged around every swing, pulling back his other fist.

“Jet-”

“Cherry Blossom Barrage!”

Gina flipped backwards to avoid the shockwave, landing just in front of Chopper in a crouch.

“He’s like that Shura bastard.” She growled, shoulders rolling tersely. “Definitely has mantra. Any surprises, Chop?”

Considering, the human-reindeer pulled a lever that switched out Lassoo’s ammunition.

“A few. Get ready to punch his lights out.”

Gedatsu rose from the smoke, hands raised.

“Swamp-Cloud Burger!”

“Iron Dragon’s Roar!”

The cloud shredded like wet paper, spattering on the cobblestones as the sharp edges of her sword-arms sliced through.

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Demonic Damascene!”

Spinning like a whirling dervish, she sliced through one, two, three globs of swamp-cloud-

Gedatsu pulled back a fist, and the Iron Dragon dug in spiked feet, crossing her blades-

“Jet Dial!”

Flesh met iron at supersonic speeds, the shockwave enough to topple ancient walls and rip moss from their moorings and bend the trees slightly outward, and Gedatsu frowned at the dents he had put in the metal-

“Cherry Blossom Syrup!”

The glass container shattered across his feet, releasing a sticky-pink substance that immediately glued both tight to the ground, and Gedatsu paled at the smirk that crossed Gina’s face as Chopper lunged in his Arm Point.

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Karmic Cross!”

“Cloven Cross!”

And another priest of Skypiea met his end.

“Now we’re pirates too!” Chopper cheered, toppling over into his Brain Point, and Gina chuckled as Lassoo changed back into his dog-form to soften the landing.

“Yeah....Yeah, we’re pirates.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hikari had never felt better to get dressed, which in any other situation would have her laughing at Zoro’s blatant relief instead of pulling on the clothes Aquarius provided as quickly as physically possible, like donning armor.

The corset top was a soft moss-green, a muted yellow- _like old, well-loved straw_ -curling wavelike designs around the waist like a hug, muted silver shorts not quite meeting the hem of familiar thigh-high boots, the weight of her tonfa bringing a smile to her face.

Cradling the young dragon on her tail, Aquarius hummed while rocking side to side, gently working knots out of her dark hair with careful fingers as a cold little nose nuzzled her neck.

“Better?”

“Much.” Hikari answered gratefully, reaching up to rub the girl’s back through the new, sky-blue little dress that had also been brought over from the Celestial Spirit World. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

A twilight-purple eye peeked out at her, wings rustling calmly as she churred, and Aquarius chuckled when her bundle immediately leaned down into the pinkette’s hold again, tail twitching up in amusement to avoid the cloud-cat’s curious paws.

“Virgo?”

“I believe that’s everything, hime.” The maid-Spirit replied, placing one last Dial into the folds of her skirt, and she nodded.

“Okay...Now we just need to figure out what it is that Eneru’s planning and stop it.”

Ears perking up, the little girl chirped, looking to her cloud-cat and chattering hopefully when the feline purred, trotting over to the door and glancing back expectantly.

Brow quirked, Hikari glanced back up at Aquarius with a shrug.

“Alright, cotton ball, lead the way.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clinging to Gina’s shoulder, Chopper refused to look down at the ruins that were getting steadily further and further away with each step upward the Iron Dragon took, metal claws and spikes digging deep into Giant Jack’s flesh to pull them along.

Hikari could have flown, he thought sadly, or had one of her Spirits take them up the distance, but…

“Alright.” Gina voiced, Lassoo perking up from around her neck as they came upon a ring of island-cloud overhead. “Hold on tight.”

Remembering what happened _last_ time she had said that, Chopper tightened his hold like a barnacle as the Iron Dragon leaned back, one hand becoming a grappling hook while the other spun its chain.

With a well-aimed toss, the curled points caught on the edge of the island-cloud, and Chopper frowned at the amount of slack in the chain.

“Why is it-”

Human-reindeer and dog-gun shrieked as Gina let go of Giant Jack and started to fall.

Cackling, the chain tightened and swung them in an arc, the momentum taking them out past the island-cloud and flying past the rim, wind roaring through her ears alongside prolonged screams as the hook came free and they tumbled over this new level of ruins.

“GINA-CHAN!”

“Iron Dragon’s Club!”

Both arms extended into columns of iron that slammed into sections of cobblestone below, slowing their descent to a solid THUMP of her boots on the ground.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Chopper released a high-pitched sound that was only registered by Gina and Lassoo’s sensitive ears, frozen around her neck.

Patting the poor Zoan’s head, she carefully pried him loose to set on a nearby portion of crumbled wall, Lassoo flopping next to him with a whine.

“What’s this place?” Chopper wondered after a moment, straightening. “The ground’s all crooked…”

“No idea.” The Iron Dragon replied, glancing around-

“Holy, wait.”

Gina hissed at the open maw of a giant dog bare feet away, already covered in iron scales when the beast pulled back and laid down, docile as a lamb.

“You’re the third, fourth and fifth ones to make it here today…”

Lassoo whipped around with a snarl at the bald, sunglass-wearing man sitting on a nearby rooftop, some sort of strange hilt in one hand.

“Who’re you?” She demanded, Chopper taking on his Heavy Point to heft Lassoo onto a shoulder.

“That spider-head is so careless...You killed Gedatsu, didn’t you?”

The Zoans squeaked, and their opponent waved it off.

“No, it’s alright. Being rid of a fool like him is best for the world. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Gina’s gaze flicked left, to the bloody bodies of Shandians lying on the island-cloud, and Chopper eyed the giant dog nervously as Lassoo bared his fangs.

“Don’t be so afraid. That’s my pet dog Holy. He’s well-trained, so he won’t bite anyone recklessly. _I_ cut that man up.”

“That’s even scarier!” Chopper protested, taking a step back. “Who are you?!”

“My name is Ohm.” The man answered, unruffled. “I am saddened by the frailty of man. Why do people fight and rot, despite knowing the transience of life? They’re born to be happy, and they desire happiness in life, only to die in battle! In which case, it would’ve been best to do nothing from the start...Such is the dilemma of man’s nature. It’s so sad...But there _is_ one path to salvation! Everyone just needs to die!”

“Called it.” Gina deadpanned as Chopper flailed.

“What scary stuff is this guy saying?! Unbelievable!”

“What have you come here for?” Ohm wondered, and Gina growled back.

“We’re here to get back the person your asshole ‘God’ stole!”

“Y-Yeah!” The Zoan agreed, shoulders rolling back. “Give us back our Kari!”

“Greed begets strife.” The priest intoned, rising. “Allow me to save you. Once dead, you will do, and desire, nothing.”

Gina smirked, Lassoo taking on gun-form with a click of changing ammunition.

“Bring it on, cueball.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Holy shit.”

The cavern dug into Upper Yard was massive, tall and wide and open as a stadium, and filled with the biggest wooden ship Hikari had ever seen.

Long oars protruded from the hull like a sea turtle’s flippers, a whole row on each side, and a golden face looked over the main deck.

 _Yeah, that looks about right_.

“What sort of ship is that?” Scorpio wondered, rubbing the back of his neck as Aquarius frowned.

“It’s hardly sea-worthy. Too heavy.”

A chirp drew Hikari’s attention down to the girl on her hip, who purposely spread her feather-scaled wings and flapped them once, twilight eyes expectant.

Eneru’s words came back then, without the blinding burn of rage and bone-thrumming fear to dismiss them.

“ **Here I am, in the final hours before my ascension to Fairy Vearth, and who should arrive in Skypiea but a star-maiden...One who can open the true gates to my future domain.** ”

“Oh…” She breathed, looking back up at the ship in amazement. “It’s not meant to sail.”

Scorpio quirked a brow at that, but Aquarius caught on a moment later, eyes wide.

“It’s meant to _fly_.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zoro grumbled under his breath as the ruins finally came into view, annoyed.

The damn beanstalk had kept moving around on him, and that fight with the Shandian, while worthwhile in helping him master a new technique, had lost the swordsman precious time just as avoiding that damn bird had.

Eneru’s smug face from the night before flashed in his mind’s eye, and a fresh surge of fury propelled Zoro forward at a quicker pace.

That bastard needed to meet Wado’s blade, and all of this nonsense was getting in the way.

_Where the hell was Luffy?_

Just before the thick green trunk of Giant Jack was a simple stone shinto shrine, half-collapsed from the elements but still holding up a covered dish like an offering, and Zoro quirked a brow.

Curiosity drew him up the single step, noting the faded carvings of stars that had not been fully eroded away, and his heart thumped hard.

_Was this…?_

That old man had said there was a key-holder here four hundred years ago, but there was no way her keys would still be...

The lid came free with a crunch of rust, hinting at a long time undisturbed, and Zoro peered inside.

Two keys seemed to twinkle back at him, one silver and one gold, and there was a lurch of excitement in his chest at the memory of presenting a silver key, all the way back in Loguetown-

Scowling, the swordsman grabbed them up and stuffed both in a pocket, stalking on towards Giant Jack.

Before he could earn that reward, they needed to get Hikari back.

With that sort of motivation, Zoro made quick work of scaling the gargantuan beanstalk, ripping through the first ring of island-cloud to another section of ruins and a new stand-off.

“One of Straw Hat’s friends?” A tattooed Shandian voiced, a familiar bazooka leaning on one shoulder, as Pierre cawed.

“It’s you!”

“Looks like we got some ferocious ones here.” Zoro muttered, brushing off wisps of moisture as he straightened, glancing over to see what must have been a priest sitting nearby next to a monstrous dog.

“Oh my, how sad...Given that none can escape from my Iron Ordeal…”

“If you’re going to get in my way, I’ll eliminate you all!” The Shandian warned harshly, and Gan Fall straightened.

“Tell me where Eneru and the Divine Squad are!”

“Well, I’m sure you have all sorts of things to say, but if you want to make yourselves heard, you’ll need to survive here first!” The priest replied, drawing his sword calmly as island-cloud burst nearby to reveal that massive snake from before. “That said, the time prophesied by God is fast approaching. So you can’t possibly survive.”

“Prophesied?” Zoro echoed, a hand falling to Sandai Kitetsu’s hilt in a tight squeeze.

“If you did not want anything, you could have lived longer. You might as well repent your sinful life with all your heart.”

“Things like God or prophecies don’t interest me.” The swordsman replied, drawing Wado and Yubashiri. “Right now, my only business here is taking back our Kari.”

“I’ll forgive that, too.” The priest stated with ominous calm. “Your only salvation lies in the fact that no one can escape from my Iron Ordeal. I’ll save you all. Let’s go, Holy. You can get as wild as you want.”

“You can all die together!” The Shandian decided, aiming at Zoro as Gan Fall charged ahead, the swordsman dodging the blast of blue heat that seared past and coming back up at his attacker’s back.

“That’s one pesky weapon you’ve got there!”

“You Blue Sea people don’t know anything!” The man snapped back, whipping around to face him. “There’s nothing here for you, who just came to the sky!”

“The situation in the sky is not our concern!” Zoro bit back, blood rushing even as a knot tightened in his chest. “My only goal is to get back the crew-mate Eneru stole! So get out of my way!”

The five-way conflict almost immediately became chaos, every battle suddenly intersecting with another, and the swordsman tumbled through the remains of a wall, coming up with a curse.

“Zoro!”

He snapped around at the unexpected voice- _when did Gina get up here?!_ -and froze, horrified.

Caught in a cage of barbed razor wire, so close that the sharp edges scraped harshly against her scales on every breath, the Iron Dragon was curled protectively over a pair of bloody bundles, red eyes wide and scared in a way he had never seen before.

Then Zoro looked closer, and realized the bloody weights were Chopper and Lassoo.

“Shit, why’re you-?!”

“STOP!”

Gina’s scream pulled him back a split second after a CLICK sounded, a flash of barbed iron nearly slicing through his arm.

“There are triggers everywhere.” She warned, voice tight to keep from shaking. “That’s how we ended up like this.”

“Why are you here alone?!” The swordsman demanded, slicing through the obstacles while watching his footing.

“Seemed like a good idea at the time.” Gina joked, a smirk ghosting across her face. “And the whole Iron Ordeal sounded a lot easier than the last two we beat. Figures he’d have a boxing dog…”

“Such a shame…” Ohm voiced, watching from atop Holy’s head as Wado slid between scale and wire to cut the young dragon free. “They’re iron-clouds. They’re light as clouds and hard as iron. They’re blown into shape by a Milky Dial. Each one is connected to some part of the ground. When you step on it, it gets discharged. On this field, you never know when and where they’ll be activated to strike you. They were partially defeated by me, but they also became victims of the ordeal on their own.”

With a growl, Gina shrugged off her ruined trench coat and dropped it over the unconscious Chopper and Lassoo.

“Alright, asshole, you got me once.” She admitted, fangs shearing through a clump of iron-cloud. “But you made a _big fucking mistake_.”

Ohm quirked a brow over his shades, expression blank.

“Oh? And what mistake is that?”

The Iron Dragon straightened her shoulders, eyes flashing, and Zoro was reminded so much of Hikari in that moment.

“ _You hurt my brother_.”

“...Holy, let’s fight separately.” The priest decided, dismounting, and she glanced over at a hand on her uninjured shoulder to meet Zoro’s firm gaze.

“...You take the mutt.”

Gina growled, instincts rankled at being denied her prey, but nodded.

Then a horde of Divine Soldiers and Shandians burst through the island-cloud near Giant Jack, all in hot pursuit of-

“Nami?!” Zoro and Gina blurted, startled as the waver swerved wildly.

“Aisa!” The Shandian shouted when he spotted a little girl clinging to said navigator.

“Iron Dragon’s Lance: Demon Logs!”

Nami ducked as the projectiles flew past, skidding to a halt when she realized the Divine Soldiers were down.

“Zoro! Gina! Where’s everyone?!”

“Wyper!” The child called when she spotted the bazooka-wielding warrior, almost frightened.

“What’re you plotting, Blue Sea person?! Aisa, get away from that woman!”

Gan Fall swooped in as the bazooka fired-

And joined Nami and Aisa in the giant snake’s stomach.

“ _ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME_!?!” Gina shouted, head snapping around in shock as Ohm’s sword extended and Holy lunged-

“ZORO!”

“You’re idiots who can’t even protect themselves.” The priest chastised as the swordsman and Shandian fell in sprays of blood. “Quit worrying about others. At any rate, no one will survive. The survivors in the upper ruins are four Shandians and four Blue Sea people...One giant snake, the dog-gun, and Holy...In other words, nine people and three animals. It’ll be five survivors soon, just like God prophesied. Now, let’s continue the battle, shall we? I’ll finish you off. It’s the climax, Holy. Time for _that_.”

And the damn dog _moved_ , grabbing an unsuspecting Shandian to use like a battering ram as he ran in a circle, activating the triggers and creating a dome of iron-cloud wire big enough that even the snake was caught fully inside.

“Fence or no fence, I’m not running away.” Zoro declared, staggering upright. “I’d better do something about that giant snake first.”

“WYPER!”

Gina glanced back to see a Shandian woman running up the dome, a long-barreled rifle in hand.

“I’m glad I found you!”

“Laki!” Wyper voiced, shoving upright with a scowl. “Why did you come here?!”

“Wyper, listen to me! I came here to give you Kamakiri’s message! Get out of here, Wyper! Don’t fight! Eneru is in the forest! Eneru is lightning itself, which people have feared as God since long ago!”

“Don’t come near here!” He shot back, blood wetting the wire where he gripped it. “Get out of here!”

“There’s no way we can defeat him!” Laki pressed, earning a growl.

“Hey, stop it!”

A crackle of electricity in the air, and Zoro watched, peripherally aware of how Gina flinched back, as Eneru appeared at the woman’s back like a wraith.

“You called me?”

“Stop it, Eneru! Don’t!” Wyper shouted, tense as if ready to rip the dome apart as Laki raised her weapon on reflex. “She abandoned the battle! Laki! Don’t fight him! Laki, run!”

A sharp CRACK of gunfire, two, and she stared at the sparking, bloodless wounds left behind.

“Get out of here.”

Gina had to close her eyes when the woman was struck down.

“You’re softer than I thought.” The ‘God’ observed. “Wyper, Shandian Warrior. Even if she’s a woman, she’s still a warrior. I treat all that challenge me equally.”

Zoro’s knuckles went white as he imagined Hikari in the Shandian woman’s place, or watching as Leo and Scorpio suffered the same fate, how scared and hurt she must have been and _he wasn’t there_ -

Eneru glanced over then, smug as anything, and the swordsman had never felt so inclined to slice someone to the bone before.

“Well, try your best not to die.” The ‘God’ taunted, no longer paying attention to the Shandians. “I’m sure my new bride would enjoy seeing you at her wedding.”

And he was gone in a CRACK of thunder and booming laughter, but Zoro almost missed it as blood roared through his ears like a whirlpool.

“That’s God?” He ground out, and Gina nodded, fingers flexing into claws and back anxiously.

“Man, what a foolish woman…” Ohm chided, shouldering his blade. “Insolently attacking God. She received divine punishment. Holy.”

The massive dog raised a fist, and her head snapped up, fangs glinting in the light.

“Iron Dragon’s ROAR!”

The beast yelped, flying back through a nearby corpse of a building, and Gina bent to scoop up Chopper and Lassoo onto her back, securing them with the remains of her coat.

“I get the mutt, right?” She voiced, tightening the knot before her hands shifted into swords. “Just make sure to hit him a few times for me.”

In that moment, burned and punctured and scraped up, bandages hanging in tatters off her shoulders and arms to reveal scuffed scales, but still ready to fight...

Zoro could not have been prouder.

“Just don’t die.”

“Should be saying that to you.” Gina snarked, facing Holy as the canine lunged. “Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Metallic Morne!”

With a twist of the wrist, she redirected his punch and slashed up past the elbow like a buzzsaw, a foot lashing out to kick the dog away as the fight renewed in earnest.

Pushing off, the Iron Dragon landed in a crouch, elbow shifting back to steady Lassoo’s weight as Holy rose with a snarl.

“Bring it, fleabag!”

Dragon and dog traded a rapid series of blows, neither landing a solid hit, before Gina feinted left and slid into his guard from the right.

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Star Storm!”

With a howl and a crack of stone, Holy flew away through a thick wall of vine-overgrown stone, and there was a beat of silence before the Iron Dragon straightened.

“Damn, really thought he’d be tougher…”

An entire street three blocks down exploded as the giant serpent tore through in pursuit of Wyper, and Gina blinked after him for a moment before sighing.

“This is gonna suck…”

A sudden shriek from his pursuer had Wyper turning to find an Iron Club had intercepted and knocked hard into the beast’s throat, buildings crumbling as it thrashed away for air.

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Fractured Fury!”

The Shandian landed, watching as her blade-arms gouged through scale and called out thin spurts of blood, stunned.

“Dragon?”

Leaping free, Gina frowned and placed a hand on Chopper’s head, an antler gently knocking against her ear as the snake writhed.

“Shit...Thing’s built like a tank…”

The ground rumbled under her feet, island-cloud breaking apart in flashes of light, and she hissed, twisting to shield Chopper and Lassoo with her iron-plated body-

And the Upper Ruins fell.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taking in the gears and glass columns and machinery that filled the flying ship’s gullet, all quiet and waiting for a spark of life, Hikari stepped back to take in her handiwork with a smile.

“There, what do you think?”

“You can’t even tell.” Kurama approved, tails curling away from the cloud-cat’s paws as Aquarius sat back on her tail, the young dragon on her lap watching curiously.

“Perfect. Did you find anything?”

“Nothing useful.” The kitsune-Spirit admitted, scruffing the cloud-cat like a kit and trotting over as she mewed unhappily. “Maybe-”

Hikari went still, head cocking just so, and the young girl keened high in her throat as the pinkette’s eyes went wide.

“ _No_.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Damn it…”

Shoving aside a section of wall, Gina sat up, checking over the still-unconscious Zoans in her arms.

A wail pulled her attention around to see the snake crying skyward, tears falling like cannon-fire, and she stood with a grunt, adjusting the cloth tie that held Chopper and Lassoo close.

Nami was still in there, along with that little girl, so it was hardly like she could just ignore-

Gina froze as a column of lightning came down on the beast’s head.

“Gina?!”

The Iron Dragon’s head whipped around, shoulders easing when she spotted Nami running across the uneven ground, Zoro and Robin not far behind.

“You’re okay!” The navigator blubbered, gathering up all three in a hug, and she turned pink, offering an awkward pat back.

“Tumble like that? Course I’m okay. How’d you get out?”

Nami winced as the charbroiled snake toppled over.

“We used the waver while it was falling, but...Well, Luffy’s still in there.”

“Why in the hell is he-?”

Zoro cut himself off with a snarl, clearly seconds away from bashing his head on the nearest rock.

“Geez! Such a pain in the ass! Why is he always like this?!”

“How should I know?!” Nami shot back, equally frustrated with this whole adventure.

The blue flare of bazooka-fire snapped all of them to attention as Eneru landed on a ball-cloud, utterly unruffled and at ease among his enemies.

“What was that for? That wasn’t very nice of you, Warrior Wyper.” The ‘God’ taunted, golden staff held lazily in one hand. “I kindly invited you to your homeland, you know. Don’t get so fired up. Wait a little. The game isn’t over yet.”

“Game, you said?” Wyper bit back, temper still riled.

“That’s right. It’s a petty game. You, and those behind you as well, are the participants.”

Reminded of what this ‘God’ had done, Nami set her jaw and stepped forward with her crew-mates to stare Eneru down, Gan Fall joining them silently.

“Welcome, splendid survivors!” He greeted extravagantly, unbothered by their stern silence. “I’m glad you made it this far. I’ll praise you for that. After all, I’m just having a little fun before married life. I hear it gets rather dull after the honeymoon.”

Knuckles went white as Zoro held himself still, glaring hellfire.

“This is a survival game to see how many people out of eighty-seven, including me, are standing three hours after you all entered this island. There’re participants who entered in the middle of the game, but I’m allowing that as well. My guess was that there’d be five survivors. In three minutes, it’ll be three hours. In other words, it won’t do if there’re seven people here right now. God’s prophecy can’t fail, since He is absolute.”

A chill went down Gina’s spine, claws flexing.

“Though I’ll admit that sharing my bride on our wedding day played a factor.” Eneru admitted, Sandai Kitetsu rattling in Zoro’s hand. “Now, who will die? Will you fight each other? Or shall I take care of it myself?”

“What do you wanna do?” The swordsman voiced, predatory-still, and Robin tilted her head in acknowledgement.

“I’m not gonna be the one.”

“Me, either.”

“Not me!” Nami agreed quickly, snapping her Clima-Tact together.

“Not me.” Gina growled, and Wyper glanced over in his peripheral.

“I won’t accept that, either.”

“I, too, firmly refuse.” Gan Fall stated, cape billowing in a stray breeze as all eyes turned to Eneru, weapons leveled at him from all sides.

“So _you_ die.”

The atmosphere itself seemed to darken, as if a thundercloud had come to block the sun, as Eneru laughed.

“You’re telling me to die? Listen to yourselves. That’s just what you’d expect from the game’s survivors. However, it seems you don’t realize who you’re talking to.”

The gold of his staff almost glowed, electricity crackling along the length, and Zoro’s jaw clenched at the slight flinch in Gina’s shoulders.

“It seems that you don’t understand the existence of God. An old fool who wishes happiness for Skypiea...A warrior who single-mindedly desires his ‘homeland’...And thieves from the Blue Sea, who desire to reclaim my bride...There are many hardships in this world, so I don’t care what my lambs wish for, but this nation has a fundamental problem.”

“If you have time to spout such nonsense, tell me where the Divine Squad is!” Gan Fall demanded, lance pointing aggressively. “Just what is your goal?!”

“The return of his majesty, Gan Fall. After his visit, God returns to his rightful place.”

“Wasted a lot of time, kicking him out in the first place.” Gina pointed out, angling to further hide her precious cargo.

“Returning?” Gan Fall echoed, catching on. “Are you saying that you’re leaving Skypiea?”

“That’s right.” Eneru agreed, leaning on his staff. “I’ve got a place to return to. It is a place regarded as God’s home by the people on the sky-island where I was born. People call that place Fairy Vearth. There, the ground extends as far as the eye can see! That is precisely the dream world that I seek! This Fairy Vearth is a land befitting me!”

“Holy fuck, he’s out of his ever-loving mind.” The Iron Dragon hissed, Nami shifting to partly shield her.

“Fighting over Upper Yard...such small Vearth...is a petty triviality.” Eneru declared, ignoring her words. “Listen. The root of your conflicts lies in a deeper place. Think about it carefully. It was born in the sky, though it’s not a cloud. It lives in the sky, though it’s not a bird. A nation rooted in the sky...This nation itself is an utterly unnatural existence! Soil has a place to return to. So do people and God.”

“Don’t tell me you…” Gan Fall breathed, horror growing across his face.

“It’s nothing you should be surprised about.” The ‘God’ replied, smirking. “As God, I’m only adhering to the province of nature and the prophecy of my bride. That’s right, I will drag down every human from the sky!”

Existential dread spread among the survivors, and Gan Fall was the first to find his voice, shaky as it was.

“Are you planning to wipe out this nation?”

“That’s just natural.”

“Don’t be conceited, Eneru!” The Sky Knight snapped. “The term ‘God’ is just a title used to refer to the leader of this nation!”

“Yes.” Eneru agreed, picking at his ear disinterestedly. “Up until now, anyway.”

“The real God does not live in the human world!”

“Former God Gan Fall...You were worried about the Divine Squad, weren’t you?”

Gina’s stomach dropped at the sudden change of topic, and Zoro’s gaze flicked over.

“Six years ago, you lost against my forces, and I took your six-hundred-and-fifty subordinates under my charge. Just this morning, they finished the work that I asked them to do on this island. I told you, didn’t I? The only ones who are standing on this island right now are the seven of us here, and my bride.”

Nami had to cover her mouth with a hand to keep from screaming, going pale.

“Such a shame...It’s not that I wanted to harm them. When I told them my goal…”

Eneru laughed, sending a chill down all their spines.

“They challenged me with angry looks on their faces!”

“They all have family on Angel Island…” Gan Fall choked out, the enormity of what happened hitting him all at once.

“Yes, I know. I have to bury their families soon, too.”

And the Sky Knight snapped, lunging with his lance.

“Are you the devil?!”

Eneru’s body parted with flashes of lightning, hands moving to frame his attacker’s airborne body.

“Five Million...Ten Million...Twenty Million Volt Vari!”

Gina stumbled back, pale, as the smoking Gan Fall fell.

“God exists in this world.” Eneru intoned calmly, as if the smell of scorched flesh was not filling the air. “That God...is me.”

“Fucking _bullshit_.”

All eyes snapped around to find Hikari, eyes a bright reptilian gold with flashing red pupils and wings flared wide.

“Because if you get one inch closer, _I’ll rip out your motherfucking spine and beat you with it_.”

Zoro could not put into words the sheer _relief_ he felt in that moment, seeing Hikari relatively alright and with that fire in her eyes.

In that moment, there was nothing better than hearing her threaten someone with evisceration.

“Are you still denying your fate, star-dragon?” Eneru wondered, amused. “Do you need another lesson in your place beneath me?”

A crack of thunder, a flash of gold, and the Straw Hats blinked, jaws dropping, as a starlight-encrusted fist smashed into Eneru’s face to send him flying.

“I learned a couple things.” The pinkette noted, golden electricity crackling over her scales. “But you’re not going to like any of them.”

Twin CRACKS, and Zoro managed to follow as the blurs clashed once, twice, thrice before skidding apart, tonfa telescoping out in Hikari’s hands as her gaze flicked over.

Cobblestone cracked as they struck again, each blow blocked and countered and blocked again-

“Tora Gari!”

Eneru turned his head at the interruption, blades passing harmlessly through his torso-

“Iron Dragon’s Lance: Demon Logs!”

The force knocked him back a handful of steps, electricity arcing back to the projectiles now stuck in the various walls, and Nami turned to stare as Gina gently put down Chopper and Lassoo.

“Take care of them for me?”

The navigator nodded quickly, and Hikari spun her tonfa, flashing Zoro a sharp smirk.

“You two go high, I go low?”

The swordsman snickered around Wado’s hilt as Eneru lurched upright, expression dark.

“Insolent mortals. Thirty Millio Volt Hino!”

Power bled off, attracted to the veritable lightning rods that had been scattered at his back, before splashing apart against the pinkette’s crossed forearms.

“Die!”

The beam of blue fire passed harmlessly through the ‘God’s chest, but he was immediately distracted by blooming hands grabbing his staff moments before Hikari snapped in close, foot raised.

“Celestial Dragon’s Claw!”

“Toro Nagashi!”

Weapon lost in the conflict, Eneru lashed out with tongues of lightning at the swords that had passed through his arm-

Only for the key-holder to intercept, absorbing the blow into her palm as a slew of Kunai took flight.

Disembodied legs sprouted from the fallen Gan Fall, carrying him away from the growing battle as Nami used a Thunder Ball to deflect a rogue lash of lightning.

For the first time, Eneru was not completely in control.

“Celestial Dragon’s Brilliant Flame!”

“Tatsu Maki!”

“Iron Dragon’s Roar!”

Without a hitch, Hikari and Zoro fell into step with each other, swords carving the way for claws as Gina peppered in attacks from afar, littering the battleground with lightning rods.

Temper flaring, Eneru pulled back, raising a hand as the sky above crackled, Gina pulling back in fear as the lightning came down-

“EL THOR!”

Robin’s eyes widened as the entire column disappeared, one last defiant branch of electricity snapping before being swallowed down Hikari’s throat, and the dragon breathed out a sigh.

“Lightning Celestial Dragon Mode…Secret Art...” She muttered, starlight growing in one palm as electricity licked up her opposite forearm. “Golden Lotus…”

Zoro’s eyes widened as a Gate opened, grabbing Gina’s arm to pull her away as Aquarius rose at her key-holder’s back, skin pulsing with celestial energy.

“Unison Raid…” They said together, and Eneru froze in place as the very light around them wavered, warping like a heat haze.

“Exploding Lightning Blade.”

A torrent of lightning and celestial flame escaped her meeting palms, water rushing after with a roar, and when Zoro could blink the spots away, he found a tunnel had been sheared away from the ruins well into the jungles of Upper Yard.

Hikari swayed, knees giving in, and the swordsman dove in to catch her around the waist while Aquarius curled her tail around, urn held in a white-knuckled grip when a figure rose from the dust.

“Did you truly think you could defeat God?” Eneru demanded, lackadaisical attitude burned away, and Zoro blinked as a giggle vibrated against his chest.

“I wasn’t trying to beat you…” Hikari admitted, eyes half-lidded and pleased. “I was _stalling you_.”

Then the fallen snake shuddered, body jolting as two figures flew free of its fangs, and even Robin had to cover up a smile.

“ENERU!!!”

Feather-scaled wings beat once, propelling Luffy ahead of his roar and right at an unimpressed Eneru.

“I’M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!!!”

And the rubber-boy slammed into him like a rubbery ballistic missile.

Nami’s jaw audibly hit the floor, and Robin covered her mouth thoughtfully as a winged little girl escaped the dust cloud, landing against Hikari’s chest with a chirp, wide eyes turned back towards the impact.

“I really should have expected that…”

“Kari!”

Rising from the fresh crater, Luffy looked towards his partners as Eneru wheezed, expression furiously blank as dark eyes landed on the bruise purpling her neck.

“He hurt you?”

“Yeah…” She admitted, a smile breaking through as Zoro’s grip tightened. “But you’re here now, right?”

An inferno lit in Luffy’s eyes, and he turned back around as his newest opponent staggered up, every muscle winding.

“Right, because no one hurts our Kari! Gum Gum Pistol!”

And for the first time, Eneru was truly on the other side of a one-sided battle.

“Move!” Zoro barked, hefting both Hikari and her newest addition into his arms while Aquarius floated over to scoop up Chopper and Lassoo.

Lurching into action, Nami followed the rest of her crew-mates safely out of the immediate danger zone, slowing at the jungle’s edge as she watched them rage around Giant Jack.

“Why are they staying there?”

“To reach the bell.” Robin answered simply as Zoro plopped down against a tree, chin dropping on Hikari’s hair to take in the child on her lap and the cloud-cat peeking out through her dark hair.

“The bell?”

Wyper was not nearly so hostile now, Aisa clinging to his arm, and Pierre hopped around him to a rousing Gan Fall.

“It’s the most likely place for it to have ended up.” The archaeologist explained, watching as Aquarius settled her burden on Hikari’s lap and pressed a kiss to her forehead before fading. “Four hundred years ago, an explorer told a lie that he saw a city of gold. Although people laughed at him, his descendants believed his words and are still searching for this city of gold in the Blue Sea. If we ring the golden bell, we can let them know that the city of gold is in the sky. With the way these ruins fell on the Giant Jack, it would have pierced right underneath the bell.”

“So the bell is probably at the top.” Hikari reasoned, head turning as Gina settled next to them with a huff.

Then the ground rumbled, as if being shaken deep inside, and Nami joined the pile immediately.

“What was that?!”

“An earthquake?” Zoro wondered, and Aisa blinked at them.

“What’s an earthquake?”

“So, not an earthquake.” Robin deduced, Gina pressing both palms to the ground with a frown.

“Something’s...moving. Lots of parts...and it’s...humming?”

There was a great crash of displaced earth, and all eyes turned as a monolithic ship literally floated out of the trees, glinting with gold and long oars rowing against air.

A cackle reached them from the battlefield, Eneru spreading his arms wide.

“Behold! The Ark Maxim, the ship that will ferry God to-”

A strange grinding sound pierced his bold declaration, and Luffy tilted his head.

“Is it supposed to be spinning like that?”

Said ship was indeed listing to one side, not only horizontally but _vertically_ , black smoke puffing out around the oars on the starboard side and causing the entire thing to look very much like a drunken sea turtle caught in a strong current.

“I’ll admit, I’m a little underwhelmed.” Nami voiced, and Robin nodded.

“Very underwhelming.”

Unable to hold in more, Hikari burst into hysterical giggles at the dumbfounded expression on Eneru’s face as his prized ship crashed into the cloud-sea past Upper Yard’s shore.

“Gum Gum Bazooka!”

And so the battle began to rise up Giant Jack’s bulk, soon disappearing from view into bursts of light and puffs of fallen ruins.

“Do you not worry for him?” Gan Fall wondered, and Gina turned her head with a frown.

“Why would we worry?”

“Luffy’s going to win.” Nami asserted, not a shred of doubt in her eyes. “He always does.”

“That guy doesn’t stand a chance.” Zoro agreed, unable to help a smirk as Hikari nodded, a hand petting through dark blue hair.

“They never do.”

“He’s certainly persistent.” Robin noted, amused. “I’m sure he won’t stop until he rings the bell for Montblanc Cricket.”

“Hey, guys!”

“Usopp!” Their navigator called, brightening. “Sanji-kun!”

“Nami-san!” Said chef sang, almost dancing over the ground towards them. “Robin-chan! Hikari-hime! I cannot describe the relief I feel at seeing all of you after so long!”

“I didn’t really miss this part…” Hikari grumbled good-naturedly, pulling out a silver key. “Eisaku.”

Aisa’s jaw dropped when the chameleon-Spirit appeared, one eye rolling to take in his key-holder while the other roved around in search of threats.

“Broadcast.”

Zoro watched as that long tail went stiff and straight, almost vibrating, and everyone went quiet at the mouthpiece being unclicked from his side.

None of them knew it then, but every Transponder Snail in Paradise suddenly woke up at that moment.

“Hello, everyone.” Hikari greeted. “I’m Dragneel Hikari. You don’t know my captain or my crew yet, but you will.”

A slow smirk fell across Zoro’s face, and he plopped a hand on the young girl’s head when she glanced up, fur-scaled ears twitching curiously.

“Because the Straw Hat Pirates rode a Knock-Up Stream into the sky and found the sky-islands that so many people claimed don’t exist, and now our captain, Monkey D Luffy, is beating up the so-called ‘God’ that ruled over Skypiea for the last six years.”

The pinkette smiled, and Usopp squeaked as he tried to avoid the puddle Sanji was making of himself.

“To Montblanc Cricket and the Saruyama Alliance...to the people of Jaya...We’re going to prove that Noland was not a liar. The city of gold has always existed...and it’s in the sky.”

And for the first time in four hundred years, the golden bell of Shandia sang.


	23. Skypiea Arc: Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Here we go! The end of the Skypiea Arc! I'm finally moving onto uncharted ground!
> 
> This chapter is leading right into the G-8 filler arc (I'm told it's better than the canon Davy Back Arc, which is exactly why I'm including it), which means rewatching the whole thing to properly plot everything out. XP So it'll be a bit before the next one! Hopefully, this pretty-long chapter tides you all over.
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18
> 
> *WARNING*  
> The third section has an adult scene portraying a threesome, so if that bothers you, please skip. It's basically Zoro and Luffy comforting Hikari after she breaks down from what happened with Eneru, in case you're worried about missing something very important.

“So, who’s she?”

Hikari blinked languidly as the warmth on her chest shifted, following Luffy’s gaze to the young dragon currently perched on a rock over where Chopper and Lassoo had been laid out for Nami to tend them.

“Mine.” She muttered back, burrowing into Zoro’s chest as a giggle vibrated back.

“I know, Kari, but that’s not her name!”

The swordsman smirked at her sleepy grumble, threading a hand through pink curls while the other cupped their captain’s neck.

“I don’t think she talks, Luffy.”

Frowning, he glanced back over as the girl turned to where Gina was propped up against the rock, jaw clenched as she cleaned out the wound on her shoulder, chittering and churring as her fur-scaled ears twitched up.

The Iron Dragon churred back, a low whistle and chuff following as she glanced towards the Zoans, and the younger blinked before nodding.

Nami paused in cleaning blood out of Chopper’s fur as the child carefully dropped down, wings curled in and ears alert as she held a delicately-clawed hand over the human-reindeer’s chest.

Usopp’s jaw dropped as the wind shifted noticeably, coalescing with a soft blue glow under her palm that spread wider and wider...

Sanji almost dropped his cigarette as Chopper’s wounds visibly began to knit closed, and Luffy craned closer, stars in his eyes, when the glow reached Lassoo to do the same.

With a pained chirp, she pulled back, blinking hazily as Nami looked between her and a rousing Chopper with wide eyes.

“How did you…?”

“Sky Dragons are healers.” Robin reminded them, a hand blooming to catch the swaying girl by a shoulder before Gina reached out to hold her. “Apparently, they’re uniquely suited for it.”

“That’s SO COOL!” Luffy squealed, stretching his upper body over and giggling as the cloud-cat popped up from under her dark hair to eye him. “We’re keeping her, right Kari? I wanna keep her!”

Hikari slit an eye open, smiling at the sight of Gina leaning over to help a dazed Chopper sit up.

“What happened? Did we win?”

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

The pinkette blinked sleepily when Zoro shifted, rooting through a pocket for-

“I found these in that little shrine.” He explained gruffly, the keys held out awkwardly like they were a bouquet of roses. “Didn’t have a chance to-”

Luffy squeaked when the body under him suddenly _lunged_ , and Zoro fell flat with a grunt moments before Hikari’s mouth crashed onto his, startling a groan free when a warm tongue invaded on that exhale.

“Aw, not fair…” The rubber boy whined, pouting. “I didn’t get a Kari kiss…”

A hand reached back, and Zoro blinked when she sat back to stretch Luffy’s head over a shoulder for a kiss, ears going red.

Nami scrambled to cover the young dragons’ faces as Sanji collapsed on himself like a puppet with cut strings.

“Oh, GET A ROOM!” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Here.”

Usopp jerked upright from his slump, fumbling the Dials that were dropped into his hands as Chopper complained about where Gina had gone while applying burn cream to Sanji’s arm.

“Where’d you get these?”

“Nabbed ‘em from those priests.” The Iron Dragon shrugged off, expression softening as she saw the younger dragon hand Chopper bandages, watching him work with quiet fascination. “A Flame Dial, a Heat Dial, an Eisen Dial, a couple Jet Dials, a few Swamp-Cloud Milky Dials...Figured you could use them for some upgrades.”

“Wow!” The sharpshooter squeaked, looking them over in awe. “These are awesome! I can definitely upgrade Nami’s Clima-Tact with these! And I’ve been going over designs for a new slingshot…”

“I actually have an idea…” Gina admitted, plopping down next to him in waiting for their turn.

Rifling through his bag, Usopp pulled out a sketchpad and a piece of charcoal, already turning to a fresh page.

“What’d you have in mind?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A bonfire blazed in the depths of Upper Yard, music and laughter caught in the branches as Skypieans and Shandians alike danced to their freedom, alcohol flowing and food passing hands in abundance.

Chopper was out there, plying their newest crew-member with fruits while Lassoo let himself act as a bed for Suu and the cloud-cat, blooming hands refilling Gina’s cup of tomato juice while she watched Sanji spin between Nami, Robin and Conis, Usopp relaying the story of their victory with plenty of fanfare...

The revelry was muted by thick tent walls, its own separate existence, as Luffy watched one of the strongest people he knew break apart.

Zoro hummed, petting through mussed curls while Hikari trembled, a tight little ball against his chest trying to hide from the world, and Luffy reached out carefully, fingers brushing against the single bruise on her neck.

A hand came up, pressing his palm against the sensitive mark, as a shiny dark eye turned out of Zoro’s shoulder.

Luffy did not quite understand why that one mark had caused all of this, but he knew whatever Eneru had done went deeper.

“What do you need, Kari?”

And slowly, with gentle, steady hands, they helped put her back together.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carefully working tangles out with a soft brush, Hikari pointedly ignored the knowing look a hungover Nami was trying to attack her with, smiling as a happy purr vibrated out of the Sky Dragon in her lap.

“Hey, Kari!” Luffy cheered, dropping onto her back and craning around to give the child a smile. “Hi, tiny dragon!”

She chirped back shyly, dark purple eyes flicking up to meet his for a moment before darting away, and Robin smiled as she sipped at a warm herbal tea.

“They’re gonna have another party tonight!” Their captain relayed, stars in his eyes. “It’s gonna be so cool! Are you gonna be there?”

The Sky Dragon blinked back at him, startled, as Zoro settled next to them with a plate of assorted fruit slices.

“Probably should be sleeping.” He chided, offering the snack while eyeing her. “Kid’s been through a lot.”

“Maybe just for a little while.” Hikari compromised, glaring at Nami so the other glanced away while whistling innocently. “Unlike last night, when no one bothered to take her back to the Merry.”

“We were expecting you to make an appearance.” Robin noted, laughter in her eyes, as that glare swung her way.

“Yeah, where did you guys go?” Nami added slyly, snickering at how red Zoro’s ears got and the flush of Hikari’s face-

“Oh, we were in the tent having sex.”

Robin blinked sharply as the navigator almost whited out in shock, both of their captain’s lovers whipping around on him.

“LUFFY!”

“What?” He wondered, innocently oblivious. “You said that’s what we did. It was really great! Even better than kissing! We’re gonna do it again, right?”

BAM!

“You don’t just say things like that!” Hikari scolded, covering the young dragon’s ears with both hands as Luffy snapped back with a pout, Zoro face-palming.

“But why not?”

“Because it’s _private_! And if you keep it up, I’m never letting you do it again!”

“But _Kari_ -”

“I shouldn’t have asked.” Nami muttered, forehead dropping against her clenched fists as the trio fell into bickering. “I should _not_ have asked!”

Robin covered her smile with a hand, watching the way their youngest crew-member looked between them avidly, feline ears twitching so cutely.

“I suppose it was going to happen eventually.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Here you are, little star.”

Sanji’s heart did a little melt at how shyly the Sky Dragon picked up her mango juice, curling up against Hikari’s chest with her wings tucked in like a blanket, before he whipped out a plate of sky-fish fillet and grilled melon for the pinkette.

“And for you, Hikari-hime!”

“Thanks.” She sighed, unable to muster any overt annoyance with Chopper snuggled up on one side and Gina strumming her guitar on the other, both full and well-rested after their harrowing ordeals in Upper Yard.

“Cute.” Nami giggled, enjoying her fruity drink while Robin half-listened to the grand story Usopp was concocting about rubber bands for an awestruck group of Skypieans as dark purple eyes locked on a particularly delicious-looking slice of sky-fish.

“Oi, Luffy!” Hikari shouted, head turning to glare at where a giant boar was roasting, plate moving away from the young dragon’s reaching hand. “That’s not all for you!”

The rubber boy whined, closing his expanding jaws before he could chomp down, and climbed up Zoro’s back with a pout that had the swordsman snickering.

“They’re making three more, you can have one of those.”

“But I want _all_ of them…”

“Here, have some of this.” Hikari sighed, turning to offer her plate and unintentionally bypassing the blue-haired dragon’s grasp, twilight eyes widening as Luffy’s infamous gullet opened-

“Mama!”

Chopper toppled over, Nami fumbled her drink, Robin nearly gave herself whiplash, Sanji face-planted, and Usopp’s jaw almost broke the rock he was sitting on as Hikari blinked down at the little girl, stunned.

“ _Mama_.” She whined, reaching for the sky-fish, and the pinkette immediately complied.

“Whoa.” Zoro muttered, plopping down with Luffy as she nibbled happily on the tender flesh, scales rustling.

“Did she just call you ‘mama’?” Nami demanded, a blooming hand closing Usopp’s mouth and handing her another drink as Hikari nodded dumbly.

“What’s so weird about that?” Gina wondered, frowning at all of them. “Course Kari’s our mom, what else would she be?”

Eight pairs of eyes turned to her in surprise, and the Iron Dragon flushed bright red after a moment.

“I-I mean, uh…”

Hikari pulled her into a hug, vibrating from head to toe with a purr, and the Sky Dragon joined in with a happy chirp, snuggling closer as Zoro saved their plate from toppling over.

“You can call me mama all you want.” She assured, blinking heat away, and Gina ducked her head to hide a smile.

“Kari…”

Chopper looked up at her with big, wet eyes, wringing his hooves nervously.

“Can I call you mom, too?”

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Hikari scooped the little Zoan up to join the hug and pressed a kiss to his furry cheek.

“Of course you can, sweetheart.”

A slow grin started to cross Nami’s face, and she shuffled closer.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

The Sky Dragon peeked out at her, ears twitching upright, and their navigator pointed to a distracted Luffy as he chomped down on a hank of roasted boar.

“What do you call Luffy?”

Following her gesture, the little girl giggled at his stuffed cheeks.

“Daddy.”

Then she was reaching for Zoro, eyes big and hopeful.

“Papa?”

Sanji broke down in waterfalls of tears, blubbering about how he would make a great papa, while the swordsman froze in place, clearly unsure of how to proceed.

But those big eyes got a little wet, ears tilting back unsurely, and he immediately reached over to pluck the little girl up, settling her in his lap to happily munch on some melon.

Luffy giggled at the nonplussed way Zoro steadied a hand between her wings, swallowing a mouthful before leaning over a shoulder.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

Glancing up from a second slice of melon, the young dragon pointed to her own chest in question, which earned another laugh.

“Yeah, you!”

“Sora.” She answered quietly, wings hitching up, and Hikari reached over to pet gently over a fur-scaled ear.

“Hi, Sora!” Luffy greeted, leaning in to pop a kiss on Sora’s forehead. “Welcome to the crew!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Alright, everybody ready?”

A chorus of agreement came from the crew, and Hikari sighed as she looked over the huge crowd of Skypieans and Shandians sitting conspicuously too-close behind them.

Word had spread quickly about her abilities, and she had been dodging a few too many starry-eyed admirers that seemed to think the pinkette was some sort of divine creature for being both a key-holder and a dragon.

 _Like I need **that** in my life _.

“Come on, Kari!” Luffy whined, squirming in his seat while Gina snickered. “Hurry up!”

Rolling her eyes, mouth quirking into a smile, Hikari held out the new silver key as light pulsed off the blade.

“I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits. And now, I beckon you to my side at once! Pass through the Gate! Open, Gate of the Centaur! HIMENO!”

Gasps rang out as a tall half-equine form emerged from the light, hooves clacking against worn-down cobblestone as the centaur-Spirit glanced around, furry ears tilting back as she hid behind a curtain of curly red hair.

With a sleek auburn coat and dark hooves, Himeno stood about Zoro’s height at the withers, fingers fidgeting with the long staff of a naginata as her forelegs bent to emphasize her bow.

“H-Hi…”

“No need for all that.” Hikari assured, waving off the formality. “Welcome to the crew.”

“Whoa, she’s part horse!” Chopper blurted, wide-eyed, as Sora squeaked in surprise, cuddling back into Zoro’s lap.

“That’s the most common depiction of centaurs, if I recall.” Robin noted in amusement as Sanji noodled over.

“Himeno-chan! Your beauty is as vivid as a wild mustang racing across a sunset! Please allow this poor soul to appreciate-”

BAM!

“Why don’t you ever learn?” Hikari sighed, Gina snickering at a rubbery snap that propelled Luffy onto the Spirit’s back.

“So cool!”

“Oh, uh...Thanks.” Himeno replied, shuffling from side to side shyly as Nami threw a canteen that bounced off the rubber captain’s head.

“Were you raised in a barn?!”

“No, I was raised by bandits!”

“That explains a lot, actually.” Gina drawled, Zoro snorting on a laugh.

“Too much.”

“So you’re a fighter too, huh?” Usopp noted, pointing to her weapon, and Himeno ducked her head shyly, equine ears tilting flat against her hair and braided tail flicking.

“Ah, I suppose…”

“Himeno’s a close- and long-range fighter that can carry about three people in an emergency.” Hikari explained, pulling Luffy off like a misbehaving kit so he could cling to her own back as the centaur twisted to show the bow and quiver of arrows over one shoulder. “She’s super versatile, and Sagittarius is probably the only archer better than her.”

Flushing pink, Himeno danced in place and giggled, causing Sanji to melt with a sigh at how her breasts swayed in the thick confines of a gray turtleneck sweater.

“Thank you, hime.”

With a short bow, she escaped back through her Gate in a shower of stardust, and Chopper blinked.

“She was really nice.”

“You always end up with the shy ones or the perverts, huh?” Nami noted, and the pinkette sighed.

“More often than I’d like, yeah…”

“Next one! Next one!” Luffy chanted, rocking side to side, and Sora chirped along as Chopper and Usopp joined in.

“Next one! Next one!”

“Menaces, the lot of you.” Hikari chided, gold key in hand. “I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits. And now, I beckon you to my side at once! Pass through the Gate! Open, Gate of the Twins! GEMINI!”

The watching pirates, Skypieans and Shandians went quiet, eyes popping, as a great shadow fell over them.

Nearly thirty feet tall, the beast reared back, scales shimmering oil-black over sinuous muscles and hollow fangs bared in a reptilian hiss as red eyes looked over the assembled audience like a feast-

“Alright, that’s enough.” Hikari chided, amused. “You’ve had your fun.”

Usopp and Nami peeked around their Zoro-shield at a loud POP, blinking at the tiny blue-skinned creatures laughing in that monstrous snake’s place, one wearing orange and the other black.

“Huh?” Chopper blurted, popping up from where he had jumped into Zoro’s lap with Sora, Lassoo and the cloud-cat relaxing from their bristling stances with confused yips.

“Sorry, piri-piri!”

“Not sorry, piri-piri!”

“Don’t mind Gemi and Mini, they’re troublemakers like Kurama.” Hikari assured, and Luffy frowned in thought.

“Hey, you talked about them before! Back before we got to Alabasta!”

“Yeah, you said they’re capable of copying people like Bon Clay.” Zoro remembered, and Gina sat up, interested.

“Really?”

“They’re better.” Hikari corrected, smiling as the pair of Spirits floated over towards where Chopper and Sora marveled over them. “They not only copy appearances and powers with a touch, but _memories_ , which makes these two great for espionage and information-gathering.”

“We’re spies! Piri-piri!” Gemi giggled, striking a pose.

“Yeah, spies! Piri-piri!” Mini echoed, mirroring her brother.

“Th-That’s good!” Usopp claimed, scrambling upright to puff out his chest. “After all, the great Captain Usopp has to focus on other things besides just being a great spy!”

“You live in a rich fantasy world.” Gina drawled, Nami snickering and offering a high-five.

“And they make six Zodiac keys, correct?” Robin noted, smiling at how the pinkette lit up.

“You’re halfway there!” Chopper cheered, Zoro smirking proudly as Luffy wrapped their girlfriend up in an anaconda hug.

“Yeah! Great job, Kari!”

“I didn’t even find the last two myself…” She protested, a smile tugging insistently at her mouth, and Sanji twirled up with hearts in his eyes.

“It’s the magnetism of your love that has brought them to you, Hikari-hime! I would lay my heart at your-”

CRASH!

Zoro blinked at seeing an exact copy of himself knock the cook straight onto his face, laughing when it popped to reveal the two blue Spirits wagging their little hands reproachfully.

“Definitely keepers!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shandora’s legendary gold bell still shone brightly under centuries of vines and moss, glistening with cloud-water from being dragged onto shore, basking in the awe of the Shandians and Skypieans gathered around.

“So this is the Poneglyph…”

“The stone that our ancestors risked the city’s life to protect…”

“Just what is written on it, chief?”

“Something we’re better off not knowing.” The old Shandian advised solemnly, unmoved.

“Hold our true motive in your hearts and speak not of it.”

Robin’s voice caused a murmur of surprise among the assembled sky-people as she approached the engraved bell with confidence, Hikari standing back to watch quietly while Gina looked over at Gan Fall sitting on a rocky outcropping above.

“We are the ones who weave history with the sounding of the grand belfry.”

“How do you know those words?” The chief wondered, Sora peeking around the pinkette’s hip with a curious chirp.

“They were carved on the Shandoran ruins.” The archaeologist explained, looking over the symbols intently. “So you were the keepers, entrusted with this for generations...Poseidon, the ‘ancient weapon’ named after a God...It’s whereabouts...Just as I thought, this was a disappointment.”

“Like Pluton?” Gina wondered, remembering the goal of her old jailer.

“Seems to be. The Poneglyphs in Alabasta talked about Pluton, just like this one is talking about Poseidon…”

“What about those?” Hikari wondered, and Robin’s gaze snapped to the right of the dark-stone plaque.

“I made it here. I will guide this text to the ends of the earth. Pirate Gol D Roger. The Pirate King...Could this mean that he came to this sky-island, too? What on earth do these words mean? No, more importantly, why can he use these characters?”

“The Ds will bring a storm.” Hikari whispered, Sora’s wings rustling.

“So it says Roger?” Gan Fall voiced, unaware of her quiet observation. “He’s a Blue Sea pirate who came to this sky more than twenty years ago. So his name is engraved there?”

“I don’t know how he reached this bell, but this sure is indelible proof that he did.” Robin replied, fingers brushing against the grooves. “Come to think of it, there’s two kinds of Poneglyph stones. Ones with information, and others that indicate their whereabouts...And this stone is one of the ones with information. It couldn’t be...Could the Rio Poneglyph be…?”

Gina straightened, eyes on Robin, as the woman nodded.

“Chief, this Poneglyph has already fulfilled its role. I bet those Poneglyphs with information scattered around the world will, when put together, become one text that will fill the Void Century for the first time.”

Hikari jolted at that, eyes going wide.

“In other words, the text completed by connecting them...That is the Rio Poneglyph, which still does not exist. Gol D Roger, Pirate King, definitely delivered this text to its destination.”

“Then…” The chief breathed, tearing up. “Does that mean our duty has been fulfilled as well? We don’t...have to fight any longer?”

The people gathered around as he collapsed into relieved sobs, and Sora whined in sympathy.

“So our duty has been fulfilled…”

“The feeling that straw hat kid gives me is reminiscent of Roger.” Gan Fall mused, looking towards the three dragons. “Is it my imagination?”

“Nope.” The pinkette answered immediately, Gina smirking.

“He’s gonna be Pirate King, too.”

“His name is Monkey D Luffy.” Robin agreed, mouth curling into a smile. “My interest in him never fades.”

“D?” The Sky Knight echoed. “I see...He’s got the same letter in his name.”

“Yes, and I’m sure it’s a big issue that has something to do with history.”

Hikari’s gaze flicked away before the Shandian chieftain rose, steadying.

“By the way, young ladies, you all wanted gold, right? You said it’s more valuable than Vearth in the Blue Sea. How about taking the broken belfry column, though we can’t give you the bell…”

“You just got it back.” The key-holder protested, and he waved the concern away.

“Naturally, we have to show our appreciation to you somehow.”

“That’s right!”

“Don’t hold back!”

“They’ll be happy to hear that.” Robin agreed, and Hikari sighed, pulling out a gold key.

“Well, if you insist…Open, Gate of the Maiden! VIRGO!”

“It’s good to see you well again, hime.” The maid-Spirit greeted, bowing. “Do you require assistance?”

“Could you get some rope to help us move this?” The pinkette wondered, gesturing to the thick column, and Virgo considered it before nodding.

“Of course, hime.”

Jaws dropped when long coils of thick rope were produced from the folds of her skirt, Gina snickering as key-holder and Spirit worked to knot both ends and create a single handle to grab onto.

Testing that the rope would hold, Hikari sprouted wings and lifted the length a couple feet off the ground, holding steady as the Iron Dragon and the Maiden ducked underneath to take some of the weight on their own shoulders.

Impressed, Robin added a few of her own hands as support before guiding Sora back towards where the rest of their crew was plundering the sky-snake for treasure.

The insensate coils soon came into view, leading towards the gaping maw that had been propped open where multiple bags sat, waiting-

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

Hikari nearly face-planted right onto the column, that high-pitched squeal skewering right through her brain, and Robin pulled the Sky Dragon safely away as a dust-cloud raced by to reveal Nami embracing the gold with her entire body.

“Holy shit, move!” The pinkette hissed, collapsing once Gina and Virgo had stumbled safely out of range to try covering her ears.

“What is she, a banshee?!” The Iron Dragon complained, wobbling almost drunkenly as Sora flopped against Robin’s shoulder.

“Whoa!”

Bouncing over, Luffy latched onto the key-holder and perked up, stars in his eyes.

“Is all this gold for us?!”

“Looks like it.” Zoro noted, swinging up to crouch next to them.

“Nami-san is so cute when she sees money!” Sanji cooed, noodling in circles, and Usopp set down his newest acquisitions with a whistle.

“It’s huge!”

“That must be at least two billion beli!” Chopper realized, Lassoo peeking around him warily to be sure Nami would stay quiet.

“But where are we going to put it all?” The sharpshooter realized, head turning as the cloud-cat trotted past him towards Sora. “There’s no way this’ll all fit on the Merry…”

Nami was immediately in tears, and Hikari sat up with a sigh.

“Virgo can take it to the Celestial Spirit World for-”

The pinkette wheezed when she suddenly had a navigator-sized weight on her torso, Luffy yelping as they were knocked back.

“I could kiss you!”

“Please don’t…” She rasped, pushing away Nami’s face with one hand while Zoro snickered.

“Shall I take the gold now, hime?”

“Please…”

With a bow, the Straw Hats watched in quiet amazement as the frankly _massive_ hunk of precious metal disappeared seamlessly into the folds of Virgo’s skirt, a line of blood escaping Sanji’s nose as she retreated back through her Gate.

“Is Sanji okay?” Chopper worried, waving his arms in front of the motionless cook, and Gina sent over a deadpan look.

“Nope.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Everyone! We can see it now!”

Conis’ shout from a nearby waver drew the Straw Hats out onto the deck as a colorful gate appeared among the clouds, a genuine rainbow glittering across the top.

“So we can go down through here?” Chopper wondered, leaning over the railing with Lassoo holding onto his shorts.

“I thought we’d have more time…” Gina admitted, wrapping an arm around Sora’s shoulders as she cuddled her cloud-cat, wings folding in like a hug.

“Yeah, now that we’re about to go back, I admit I hate to leave.” Sanji admitted, Zoro reaching out to pat the Iron Dragon’s shoulder.

“It’s time to say goodbye to this pure white sea.”

“The sky-island was fun, though it was scary.” The human-reindeer noted, and Hikari popped a kiss to his forehead.

“This’ll be just as fun. A Milky Road all the way back to the Blue Sea? It’ll be like the world’s biggest slide.”

This perked Luffy right up, though Nami glanced back lovingly at their full storage.

“I wonder if we can visit the sky-island again…”

“Hard to tell with this place.” Usopp voiced, patting his Dial-laden bag proudly as island-clouds rose to funnel the Going Merry through, Conis and Pagaya running alongside.

“Well then, everyone! Sumimasen! We’ll say goodbye here!”

“Please take care, everyone!”

“Thanks for seeing us off!” Nami called back as Sanji noodled over.

“Conis-chan! Take care of yourself!”

“Say hello to the others!” Usopp reminded them, Luffy grinning as he hopped onto Hikari’s back to wave.

“Thanks for everything! Conis, old guy, little fox! You all take care!”

“No, we should be thanking _you_!” Conis argued, visibly tearing up. “I’ll never forget you all!”

“Now, furl the sails immediately and hold on tight to the ship!” Pagaya ordered, and Hikari turned to shove Zoro’s shoulder with a laugh.

“You heard the man!”

“We’re going down seven thousand meters!” Gina pointed out, giggling with excitement. “This’ll be _awesome_!”

With the fabric safely secured, the Merry began into a final tunnel, and Nami checked their Log Pose with a smile.

“Now, captain, we’ve got the Log for the next island!”

“Yeah!” Said captain cheered, pulling Sora close as they slipped into darkness. “Once we get off from here, we’ll start on a new adventure again! Guys, you ready?!”

“YEAH!!!”

The Milky Road dipped steeply, the crew crying out as their little caravel gave into gravity with a sharp increase of speed.

“Everyone!” Conis shouted just before she disappeared from sight. “Be careful while dropping!”

A beat of silence fell over them before Hikari broke it.

“Dropping?”

And that was when they ran out of Milky Road.

There was no time to scream before gravity, cruel mistress that she is, grabbed hold and yanked the Straw Hat Pirates viciously down towards the unforgiving Grand Line.

The short note of a whistle heralded the sudden appearance of a huge pink, purple-spotted octopus, massive tentacles wrapping around the hull-

And then they were floating.

“It’s like a balloon…” Chopper realized, squeezed tight against Hikari’s chest as he was, and Luffy popped up.

“Hey, look! This is so cool! This is fun!”

“I wanna hit him…” Gina growled from where she had sprawled catching Usopp, Lassoo practically tied around one leg, and Hikari’s knuckles cracked.

“ _Get in line_.”

A clear note from above cut through the moment, drawing all eyes upward as the golden bell of Shandia rang its farewell.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We’ve finally become super rich!”

Luffy giggled, sitting in the pile of sky-snake gold that had been made in the Merry’s galley.

“What shall we buy?! How about buying a huge bronze statue?!”

“What would you even do with a statue?” Hikari scolded, reaching over to flick his forehead.

“We should increase the number of cannons!” Usopp suggested instead, eyes shining. “Let’s buy ten of them! Ten!”

“Because we have ten people to use them all, huh?” The pinkette drawled, this time flicking the sharpshooter’s nose.

“Nami-san! I want a lockable refrigerator!” Sanji pleaded, and Luffy immediately scowled.

“Don’t be stupid! What’re we gonna do if we get hungry?! I object!”

“You’re the reason we need one, dad.” Gina pointed out, handing Sora an onigiri.

“I want some books!” Chopper voiced, propping himself up on Lassoo’s head to fix Hikari with big, hopeful eyes. “I want to read medical books from other countries!”

“Of course, sweetie.” She cooed, scooping the Zoan up for a cuddle while Zoro snickered. “I’ll get you all the books you want.”

“Hey, hold on a second!” Nami protested, setting aside her tangerine juice. “We’ll split the treasure once we get back down, okay? If we buy whatever you guys like, I have a feeling that it won’t do us any good.”

“You’re right.” Hikari conceded, running a hand through the cloud-cat’s fluffy fur. “We should be focusing on repairs for the Merry and restocking supplies.”

“Navigator-san.” Robin called through the door, hip propped on the railing. “I wonder where this ship is heading.”

“Where? The next island-”

Nami’s horrified scream nearly had Sora flying into the ceiling and Gina falling back off her seat, Lassoo and the cloud-cat scrambling away to escape the noise.

“We started riding an air current at some point, and now we’re drifting!” She wailed, running out to look around frantically as the Iron Dragon sighed.

“Oh, the horror…”

“It is! As it stands, we don’t know where on the sea we’ll land!”

“Since when did we know that?” Hikari deadpanned, petting down Sora’s ears with a croon.

“What’re we gonna do?! In this state, I can’t set the sails and control the ship!”

“Well, don’t worry.” Luffy brushed off, leaning back on the gold. “We’ll just head back to the next island once we reach the sea.”

“You just blurt things out casually, as always…”

“Not much we can do, anyway.” Gina reasoned, scooping up Chopper on her way out. “Unless you got a couple more flyers here.”

“But…”

“What is it, Sanji-kun?” Nami wondered, following his gaze up to the octopus.

“Well...I guess it was my imagination.”

“What are you talking about?” Usopp wondered, and Hikari paused, head tilting.

“Is that...whistling?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Yup, it’s definitely shrinking.” The Celestial Dragon stated, all heads tipped back to study the octopus in the dark.

“What’re we gonna do?!” Usopp panicked, starting to flail, and Robin leaned away to avoid being smacked.

“We could lighten the load-”

“NEVER!” Nami hissed demonically, and Zoro raised his hands quickly in a peace gesture.

“Do you have any Breath Dials?” Hikari wondered, and Usopp paused in thought.

“Yeah, I...Oh!”

Wings unfurling, she grabbed him by the waist and cleared the railing, Luffy peering over to watch as they glided around under the hull.

Pulling out one of the circular Dials, Usopp suctioned it to the Merry’s keel, then another, and another, until there was an audible gush of air pushing back against gravity.

“That should buy us some time.” The pinkette voiced once back on deck, Nami sagging in relief. “So long as we don’t put any extra weight or stress-”

And the octopus-balloon snapped back to regular size.

“ ** _ARE YOU KIDDING ME_**!?!”

Whipping out a gold key as they plummeted like a lead balloon, she grabbed up Sora in her wings while Gina curled protectively around Chopper and Lassoo.

“Open, Gate of the Ram! ARIES!”

“WOOL CUSHION!”

The fluffy wool spiraled up to meet the Merry’s hull, contracting to absorb the force into a landing that only half-drowned the crew as things resettled.

“Nami-san! Robin-chan! Hikari-hime! Aries-chan! Are you okay?!” Sanji panicked, scrambling upright as groans littered the deck.

“At least we know _you’re_ okay…” Hikari grumbled, running a soothing hand through Sora’s pigtails as Aries helped Gina stand.

“Is anyone hurt?” Zoro demanded, steadying Chopper as he stumbled up.

“Just peachy…” The Iron Dragon grumbled, carefully detaching the cloud-cat from her shirt.

“That startled me!” Nami complained, trying to catch her breath. “The octopus suddenly shrunk all the way!”

“I wonder if the air leaked out.” Robin mused, unbothered by the saltwater soaking into her pants.

“Still, we really went to an incredible place, didn’t we?” Sanji voiced, calm now as Aries faded, and the archaeologist nodded.

“Now that we’ve fallen, it’s so far up.”

“It’s as if we were dreaming.” Nami agreed as Zoro reached over to yank the octopus from Luffy’s face.

“It’s a dream land.” Chopper squealed happily, dancing around Gina’s feet as Lassoo melted.

“Think we’ll ever go back?”

“You might be able to get closer if you die.” Zoro teased, snickering when Hikari’s elbow swung around into his ribs, and Usopp turned to him in surprise.

“Zoro, so you think you can go to heaven?”

“OI!”

“Well, things’re calm now at any rate.” Their cook noted, climbing the steps. “I’ll make coffee or something.”

“I’d rather have dinner, Sanji!”

“I’m saying I’ll get right on it, so have some coffee and wait!”

Gold-silver scales suddenly bristled, and Gina turned with a growl as floodlights suddenly snapped on, illuminating the Going Merry like a moth within a flame as an alarm blared, hundreds of footsteps thundering over the surrounding rock.

All Hikari could do was swear.

“ ** _FUCK_**.”


	24. G-8 Arc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> This didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would...I was expecting this arc to be longer, I guess? But I not only watched this one, but pretty much all of the Davy Back Arc in roughly a day. I'm assuming that means it'll take a week to get through Water Seven and Enies Lobby...
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

Pinned like a butterfly on a board, the Going Merry bobbed in the floodlights, wrapped up in yellow tap and swarming with marines.

Sitting under an overhang of rock on a ledge just over the water, Hikari took in the warships that circled around with a sigh, Sora glancing up with a questioning chirp as her cloud-cat hissed.

“We landed in _Navarone_.” She muttered, glancing over as Gina plopped down on her other side. “We literally landed in the most secure Navy base on this side of the Grand Line. On top of that, it’s under the purview of _Vice Admiral Jonathan_.”

The pinkette rubbed at a tension headache building behind her temples, and a slick hide pressed against the soles of her bare, submerged feet with a low whine from Momoo under the water.

“Any man who effectively apprenticed under Admiral Akainu is too smart for his own good…”

“So, what’re we gonna do?” Gina wondered, claws sharpening against each other lazily but eyes sharp.

Releasing a heavy breath, Hikari considered their situation seriously.

Everyone had managed to escape the ship, but there had been no time to coordinate; she only managed to grab Sora and Gina in those quick moments, and Momoo had found them after being woken from his post-Skypiea catatonia, which left the rest of their crew scattered all over the enclosed lake-base with no way of communicating.

With the Merry effectively already confiscated, that meant all of their belongings, supplies and stored treasure were in marine hands and needed to be reclaimed, and with the outer ring of rock that naturally fortified Navarone’s defenses, they would also have to find a map or blueprints to figure out an exit.

That was not even getting into all of the cannons that lined the base’s walls, truly evoking the image of a hedgehog that this place was famous for.

“Okay.” Hikari decided, straightening up with a silver key in hand. “Open, Gate of the Chameleon. Eisaku!”

Eyes roving around for a moment, Eisaku sat up at seeing the Merry’s position, one eye snapping around to his key-holder.

“Hime?”

“Any chance you have headphones?”

The chameleon-Spirit hummed, nodding as he pushed up onto his two-toed rear legs to reveal a little pocket door in his belly that slid open with a CLICK for Eisaku to rummage around inside.

A shiny set of rainbow-colored headphones were produced, the wire tightly curled and fuzzy pink, and he shrugged at Gina’s quirked brow.

“One of my key-holders was into bubblegum pop.”

“Works for me.” Hikari accepted, plugging the adaptor in a port next to Eisaku’s speaker before settling the padded speakers over her ears. “Scan for Vice Admiral Jonathan.”

Tail going rigid, the tip rotating around like a radar dish, the Spirit’s eyes froze in a cross-eyed blankness…

“Straw Hat Luffy, Pirate Hunter Zoro, Dragon Princess Hikari…”

The man’s voice came through a faint fizzle of static, clear as a bell.

“We can probably assume that the woman with countless hands and the hairy monster are also part of the group...In any case, there’re ten of them. Among them are a skilled cook, a knowledgeable ship’s doctor, a musician...There may be a historian as well…”

Listening closely, Hikari reached out to pet down Sora’s fur-scaled ears when the Sky Dragon squeaked, amazed.

“What I don’t know is their purpose. What on earth did they come here for? Well, at any rate, my fortress is no laughing matter. They may have a dragon, as so many rumors say, but it is not so easy to escape.”

A smile took shape on the pinkette’s face, the edges sharp.

 _Challenge accepted_.

Gina’s hand snapped up to catch a handheld transceiver, perking up at the mischievous glint in gold-flecked eyes.

“How are your espionage skills?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Scan.”

“Luffy, ground level, quadrant one. Zoro, ground level, quadrant four. Nami, outer ring, quadrant four. Usopp and Robin, outer ring, quadrant two. Chopper, floor level three, quadrant two.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn crested to reveal the Going Merry being towed out of the water towards the docks, watched over by Jonathan and his lieutenant from the former’s office.

“We’ll moor the pirate ship to Dock Eighty-Eight and investigate it thoroughly.”

A knock came, and he turned as a marine rushed in, Transponder Snail in hand.

“Reporting, sir! The Stan Marey is demanding entry.”

“What?!” Lieutenant Drake barked as his superior fiddled with a fishing hook and lure.

“Since we’re in a state of emergency, I advised them to wait a while, but…”

The snail stirred, relaying a new voice.

“We ran into a storm and have many injured! This is an emergency! Please allow us to receive treatment at once!”

“I know it’s a ship from Headquarters, but there’s a big possibility that there’re pirates hiding within the fortress.” Drake reasoned. “We cannot permit them to enter! If we allow outside ships to come in now, it’ll cause unnecessary confusion and-”

“Open the gate.” Jonathan ordered easily, watching the Going Merry disappear around the shoreline. “I’ll permit their entry. Immediately assign a medical team to them as well.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Commander!” The lieutenant protested once the door closed.

“The uneasiness felt by those who are injured in the middle of the Grand Line...You understand that feeling, don’t you?”

“Of course! However-”

“You know, this is the first time I’ve gotten a little fired up in a long time.” He continued, jovial. “Well, they can’t get out of the fortress. Still, why did they come to Navarone? Monkey D Luffy…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Scan.”

“Luffy and Sanji, floor number six, quadrant one, on the move. Zoro, floor level three, quadrant four, on the move. Nami, floor level six, quadrant one, on the move. Usopp and Robin, outer ring, quadrant three, stationary. Chopper, floor level ten, quadrant two, on the move.”

“Get that?”

“Got it.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“It’s not that easy to find them.” Jonathan noted, peering through a spyglass as he was rowed around Navarone’s lake underneath the bridge.

“Of course it isn’t, commander. They may be pirates, but they wouldn’t be in a place like this where they can be found so easily. This place is in plain sight from anywhere.”

“Yeah, there’re probably some who act smart and hide. But among that kind of pirate, there’s usually one or two who have guts.”

“Is that right?”

Jonathan paused, focusing his lens on a sight up the rock, and smiled as he recognized a face from the wanted posters sitting in his office.

“Looks like I’ll be able to catch a fish today.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Scan.”

“Luffy and Sanji, floor level four, quadrant one, stationary. Zoro, sub-level one, quadrant three, stationary. Nami and Chopper, floor level ten, quadrant two, stationary. Usopp, ground level, quadrant four, on the move. Robin, ground level, quadrant four, on the move.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, nine more, huh?”

The Vice Admiral looked over his empty board at the white rook, arms crossed.

“One of the Straw Hat Pirates, Roronoa Zoro...Drake, shall we try questioning him?”

“But you told us to check the dining hall, commander.”

“Hm? I did?”

“You said that everyone gets hungry, so they’re likely to appear in the dining hall.” His lieutenant explained, and Jonathan shrugged.

“I’ll go to the dining hall. Jessica told me that new cooks from Headquarters are coming as well, so…”

“How should we proceed with questioning Zoro?”

“I’ll leave it to you.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Mom?”

“...If you think these people can so much as intimidate Zoro, then you haven’t been paying attention.”

“...Okay.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Here you go!” Luffy voiced cheerfully, placing a fresh serving of Sanji’s cooking before the Branch Commander of Navarone without a grin, signature hat hidden by a chef’s cap and usual clothes traded out for a cook’s uniform.

“Thanks.” He replied evenly, picking up a fork. “You can go now.”

“Aye aye, sir!” He replied, scurrying back towards the door but pausing when the first bite was taken.

“Hm! This tastes just like they said it did. It’s amazing! This dish lives up to my expectations!”

“Yeah, you’re right!”

Then Jonathan’s fork hit plate, and he glanced down to find a good portion more than he had consumed was missing while the boy’s cheeks were suddenly full.

He aimed the tines purposely at a piece which suddenly vanished, just like the next one, and the one after that-

Jonathan pinned the last down, revealing the hand attached to a rubbery arm that was trying to steal it away.

“Let me have some, you cheapskate!”

“You certainly live up to my expectations!” Jonathan approved, releasing and watching the food slingshot back into Luffy’s mouth. “Welcome, Straw Hat Luffy. I’m Jonathan, the Commander of Navarone, Branch G-8. I don’t want to get violent in the dining hall, but could you answer me one question?”

“If I answer, can I eat half of that stuff?” The Paramecia bartered, already swallowing his extreme mouthful.

“Not just half, you can eat it all.”

“Really? Then I’ll take it.” He agreed, arm snapping out for the plate. “Sorry that I called you a cheapskate.”

“No matter how hard I think, I can’t figure out your purpose.” The marine admitted, watching as Luffy cleaned his plate. “It is said that Captain Smoker is the one who defeated Crocodile. It’s not as if you gained reputation in Alabasta, or even money...What would someone like that want from us? What did you come to this fortress base for?”

“What for?” Luffy parroted, licking the sauce up. “Well, when we fell from the sky, we happened to land here. The Grand Line really is an interesting place. I’ve come to like this fortress quite a bit as well, you know! You have good food here. I guess I’m just lucky.”

This startled a chuckle from the man.

“Listen, Straw Hat. Even if you’ve got the power of a Devil’s Fruit, it’s impossible to escape Navarone without some sort of miracle.”

“I’ll leave when I want to.” Luffy declared, unruffled.

“Even after you hear that Roronoa Zoro was captured?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Scan.”

“Luffy and Sanji, floor level three, quadrant one, on the move. Zoro, sub-level one, quadrant three, stationary. Nami and Chopper, floor level ten, quadrant two, stationary. Usopp, Dock Eighty-Eight, on the move. Robin, floor level ten, quadrant four, on the move.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Commander, he insists that he’s a marine, but the circumstantial evidence clearly indicates that he’s one of the Straw Hats.” Lieutenant Drake stated, presenting a captured Usopp.

“Hm...You!”

“Yes, sir!” The long-nose sniper squeaked, turning blue with fright.

“What’s your name?”

“...It’s a secret.”

“Which unit are you with?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Why did you take the trouble to go to the dock where the pirate ship is?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Secret, huh?”

“Yes…” Usopp whispered in that same weak voice.

“Let’s imprison him right away and put the screws to him!” The lieutenant petitioned, which Jonathan waved off.

“Now, hold on, Lieutenant Commander. Come to think of it, I hear that a special inspector from Navy Headquarters was onboard the Stan Marey that arrived this morning. It’s natural that an inspector would hide his name and division to investigate.”

“…I’m surprised that you figured it out.”

Usopp managed to muster up a confident chuckle, throwing off his captors.

“That’s what you’d expect from the Commander. You’re right. I’m a special investigator from Navy Headquarters, Captain Usopp! Is there any illegal activity in Branch G-8?! Are military laws and regulations being properly followed?! Are the marines full of enthusiasm?! So, I disguised myself as a mere private to get the inside scoop. That’s the story!”

“We apologize, captain!” The rank-and-file marines apologized with salutes, taken in by his steady delivery.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Drake protested, though he was growing nervous. “A special investigator has higher authority than a Branch Commander! There’s no way an idiot like you could be one!”

“Idiot?” Usopp echoed, unnerving him further. “Idiot?! What’re you saying, Drake Whoever, when you’re a mere Lieutenant Commander?! I can have you court-martialed for insulting a senior officer, you know!”

“But…”

“Do you wanna experience the Navy prison? Huh?”

“I’m sorry, captain.” Jonathan soothed. “I was thinking about sending someone to greet you, but I got delayed. Please forgive me.”

“Well, so long as you understand-”

“Commander!” A sailor called from the door, saluting. “Special Inspector Major Shepherd from Navy Headquarters has arrived!”

And Robin stepped in, smiling behind purple shades and in the uniform of a Navy Inspector.

“Nice to meet you, Commander Jonathan.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Straw Hat and a very skilled cook…” Jonathan listed, placing a piece for each on his board. “A swordsman and a man with a long nose...A doctor and nurse we’ve never seen before...And one who calls herself Major Shepherd…”

Looking over the setup, he nodded.

“We’ve already captured the ship and two of them. The rest of the Straw Hats are within my hands. So what will you do now, Monkey D Luffy?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Scan.”

“Luffy and Sanji, ground level, quadrant two, on the move. Zoro and Usopp, sub-level one, quadrant three, stationary. Nami and Chopper, floor number ten, quadrant two, stationary. Robin, floor number three, quadrant four, stationary.”

“They’re going to make a move now. Ready?”

“Ready.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vice Admiral Jonathan looked over the smoking remains of Navarone’s jail and the shattered husk of the connected bridge from his office window, tapping at the map of his fortress as a sailor gave his report.

“Commander! Part of the Straw Gate has been demolished, and the Straw Hats have fallen into the bay. Moreover, Unit Fifty-Five appears to have no casualties or missing persons.”

“Whoa now! That’s clearly far too much destruction! Those guys...But did they buy us twenty-two minutes?”

“Commander!” His Transponder Snail greeted in Drake’s voice. “The special capture operation at Dock Eighty-Eight is ready! We can now capture the Straw Hats!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pulling off her headphones, Hikari smirked as Eisaku’s tail twitched.

“We’ll see about that.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looking around at the veritable army of marines filling Dock Eighty-Eight, with a Sea Prism Stone-downed Luffy at his back and a concussed Usopp tossed over a Heavy Point Chopper’s shoulder, Zoro could admit they had wound up in a pretty tight spot.

The Going Merry was right there on a dry-dock, but the distance might as well have been a league, and his gaze flicked up to the manned catwalks in annoyance.

There was no way to dodge if all of them fired at once, unless-

The swordsman paused, realizing something very important in that moment everyone else seemed to have overlooked.

_Where’s Kari?_

The surrounding speakers audibly crackled to life, Chopper jumping a bit in surprise, and Sanji frowned at the sudden murmurs rippling through their enemy.

“What’s going on?”

“As fun as this whole experience has been, I think it’s gone on long enough.”

Lieutenant Drake whipped around to find Hikari sitting casually on the Going Merry’s portside railing, elbow propped on a bent knee and smiling shark-sharp as Eisaku stuck out his long tongue from her shoulder.

“Hikari-hime!” Sanji almost squealed, noodling in circles as Luffy grinned hazily and Nami almost collapsed into relieved tears. “You’re a true angel from heaven!”

“What do you plan to do, Dragon Princess?” The lieutenant challenged, the ranks behind him turning to take aim. “You’re all surrounded!”

“Hm, it certainly seems that way, doesn’t it?” Hikari mused, and Zoro smirked at the knowing gleam in her eyes. “But you see, lieutenant, your Branch Commander miscalculated in taking on the Straw Hat Pirates.”

Concrete audibly cracked, and the marines went pale.

“After all, you completely forgot about us.”

Lieutenant Drake froze.

“Us?”

The floor caved in like wet paper, and at least three jaws dropped as the entire army was sent tumbling into the sudden pitfalls with startled screams, the men on the catwalks staring in horror as their commanding officer looked over the exposed bedrock with wide eyes.

A dark chuckle cut through the shocked silence as the dust settled, and Gina grinned from the thin strip of land left leading straight from the door to the Merry, bloody eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Careful.” She taunted, smirk fang-sharp and causing the overhead marines to shake in their regulation boots as their rifles fell apart like they were put together with air-thin string instead of metal bolts. “You wouldn’t want to fall, would you?”

Snickering, Zoro yanked his boyfriend out from the Sea Prism Net and steadied his swaying weight against a shoulder as Nami took the initiative to grab a noodling Sanji and startled Chopper with Lassoo bounding ahead.

“Now, if you don’t mind, we really do have to be going.” Hikari continued nonchalantly, Sora popping up to her left and dropping the rope ladder as their crew-mates crossed at a brisk pace. “I’ll leave a review for you on our way out.”

With Chopper clambering up, Usopp and Lassoo over each shoulder, Zoro caught the pleased edge to her smile.

“And Vice Admiral Jonathan?”

Nami blinked at the long gold chain now dangling from the pinkette’s finger as Sanji quickly helped her over the railing.

“ _Nice try_.”

Zoro tossed their captain onto a nearby bag of grain as the speakers shrieked, a second signal coming through as Eisaku retreated through his Gate.

“Detain them!” Jonathan boomed, his earlier calm gone. “Don’t allow them to escape!”

Men scrambled to find new weapons as the block holding the Merry in place was yanked out, Luffy cheering as they slid backward in a spray on seawater, and Nami pointed when she spotted Momoo spitting out the chain.

“That way! Take us along the portside, Momoo!”

With a moo, the sea-cow leaped into his harness as Nami kicked Usopp awake.

“Unfurl the sail! Chopper, take the rudder!”

Gunfire cracked through the air, bullets pinging off Gina’s scales as the Going Merry surged away from the dock at top speed, and Nami freaked out when the cannons lining Navarone’s walls shifted to take aim.

“Kari-chan! Summon Aquarius! Aries! _Anybody_!”

The pinkette glanced over, a gold key spinning between her fingers, as Luffy hopped onto her back.

“Why would I do that?”

“WHY _WOULDN’T_ YOU DO THAT!?!”

Usopp squeaked, arms flailing towards the warships giving chase behind them and the fleets closing in from either side, the CRACK of cannon-fire forcing out a screech.

“They’re shooting at us!”

“Be kinda concerning if they didn’t.” Gina pointed out, swinging out a Club to knock the spray back as Nami collapsed in tears, seeing the largest mortar level on them.

“We’re gonna _die_ -”

Then the nearest warships exploded.

Luffy grinned, Zoro blinked, Sanji dropped his cigarette, Nami and Usopp’s jaws about cracked the deck, and Chopper nearly toppled over in surprise while Hikari smirked as a familiar Special Inspector hopped into view.

“Go, my comrades! I, Condoriano, will cover your escape! Piri-piri!”

Nami stared, stunned, and the pinkette reached out to pat her head as Usopp blubbered happily.

“You used my lie!”

“Robin-chan!”

Everyone’s attention turned the other way as Sanji twirled across the aft-deck at the sight of said archaeologist swinging in on a vine of blooming arms.

“So cool!”

“Your counter-strategy is proving rather effective.” Robin noted once both feet were planted on the deck, offering a rolled map to their teary-eyed navigator. “I’m impressed.”

“The trick is not planning what Luffy does and working around him.” Hikari drawled as ‘Condoriano’ drove the Navarone ships off their tail.

“What’s the plan for getting through that?” Zoro wondered, jerking a thumb towards the massive metal door wedged between a canyon in the rocks as Nami drove Momoo towards it.

“This. Open, Gate of the Tres Felis! CARLA!”

The cat-Spirit spiraled up through the air on white wings, Robin smiling as she angled into a thin strip of window.

There were muffled screams, and Luffy snickered as the Sea Gate opened a few moments later.

“Thanks, Carla!”

“I, Condoriano, will never be taken alive!” Their ‘crew-mate’ proclaimed loudly, taking off out of sight, and Hikari took in a deep breath as they vanished around a corner and through their Gate.

“Alright, time to go.” Hikari decided, pulling out another gold key. “Open, Gate of the Water-Bearer! AQUARIUS!”

Momoo squealed when the water rushed around him, and Luffy cheered as they rocketed right through, almost skipping over open water with no one to give chase.

“We did it!” The rubber boy shouted, pulling a giggling Sora up and peppering her face with kisses as Aquarius rolled her eyes fondly, fading. “We got out!”

“All thanks to Kari.” Zoro reminded him, leaning down to press a kiss on her forehead.

“You say that like I didn’t have any help.” She protested, cheeks flushing, and Sanji popped up with heart-eye pulsing.

“Your brilliant mind is only outdone by your beauty, Hikari-hime!”

“That was so cool!” Chopper cheered, Lassoo nearly toppling the cook as he skidded to a halt with his fellow Zoan in tow. “And Gina-chan! That pit-trap was amazing!”

“Aw, it wasn’t too hard.” Gina brushed off, a pleased tilt to her smirk. “Took maybe thirty minutes. I was mostly gathering up all the gold on base, like mom wanted.”

Nami had beli in her eyes, and was torn between hugging one dragon or the other for their dedication to adding to her hoard, when Usopp popped back up.

“Hey, how’d you get the inspector guy to play along?”

“I didn’t.” Hikari replied, waving the newest Zodiac key in her possession. “Gemi and Mini used him as a disguise to get to the cannons once Robin’s cover was officially blown, after raiding the base for our supplies.”

“So his plan was to force us to abandon our escape, making us more vulnerable to capture.” Robin mused, and the pinkette nodded.

“That’s why the first thing he had taken off the ship was our gold.”

The navigator looked stricken, immediately rushing off to comfort said gold, and the cloud-cat on Sora’s shoulder rolled her eyes.

“It’s good that you had everything under control!” Usopp claimed, puffing out his chest. “Or I would have had to unleash my Usopp Hammer on them!”

“Yeah, we saved ‘em a lot of trouble.” Gina agreed with a snicker, patting the sharpshooter’s shoulder as he beamed.

“You’re the smartest person ever, Kari.” Luffy praised, tilting her head back to pop a kiss on her nose and giggle at the blush that spread. “Even smarter than that old guy.”

“Quit getting all mushy and give me at least five minutes without you getting us into trouble.” The pinkette grumbled, shoving his laughing face away as Sora churred, wings flexing open to keep her balance on both of them.

 _Hopefully, we don’t end up dropping into another Navy base anytime soon_ …


	25. Davy Back Fight Arc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Holy crap, did this chapter take a while! I expected to finish this about as fast as I did the G-8 Arc, but it just kept going and going...
> 
> And now I need to watch the Water Seven Arc, so the next one will DEFINITELY take longer to finish. I'm doing it in three separate arcs: Water Seven, Enies Lobby, and Return To Water Seven, to make things easier on me and kinda break things up for me watching-wise.
> 
> Hopefully, this chapter tides you guys over until I can update next!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

The Going Merry was by no measure a large ship, though it was certainly one that wore the love of it’s crew with pride.

Still, the recent additions were showing that even the well-appointed girl’s bunk was rather crowded.

Virgo had brought in an extra bed by the time they left Alabasta, then configured the setup into bunk beds after Robin had officially joined them, and now the girls were wondering how to add a fifth mattress without sacrificing Nami’s wardrobe or the archaeologist’s bookshelves.

“Maybe we should add in a murphy bed?” Hikari suggested, knuckles knocking on a perpendicular wall to the bunks. “Something we can fold up during the day and only put out at night?”

“Then we can’t put anything else there.” Nami pointed out, frowning. “How about trundle beds? We can put one each on the bottom bunks and roll them out.”

“That seems-”

A loud purr cut through their deliberations, and all three women turned to see the entire reason for this discussion burrowing under the soft grey comforter of Hikari’s bottom bunk, ears sticking out of the top.

Snickering from her own bunk overhead, Gina glanced down with a smirk.

“Looks like she’s decided on where she’s sleeping already.”

Heart _tha-thumping_ hard, Hikari tried to fight back a smile as she turned to Virgo.

“Think you can get a bigger frame for that one?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robin paused mid-sentence in her book as a happy squeal echoed over the Merry, peering curiously out of the shade of Nami’s tangerine trees and pausing when Sora tumbled up past the mast with another squeal.

A peek over the railing revealed Luffy lying on the main deck, inflated in a Gum Gum Balloon and trying to hold back laughter as the Sky Dragon bounced off his belly again like a trampoline.

The cloud-cat watched them with an exasperation that seemed to hint at quite a bit of disapproval, but Robin found the sight adorable.

Besides, Sora deserved to have all the fun she could handle.

“MONKEY D LUFFY, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?!”

The archaeologist smiled to herself, returning to her book as a resounding BAM rocked the Merry.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Zoro had drifted off on his usual post-training nap, he had been alone.

Hikari had been talking with Himeno and Moro on the aft-deck, sharing some sort of marshmallow snack between them that immediately drew Chopper in like a moth to a flame, and Luffy had been trying to raid the refrigerator again, despite Sanji’s vigilance.

Usopp and Gina had disappeared into the storage room, apparently finalizing some designs, while Nami and Robin were on the bow-side deck reading the latest newspaper and discussing current events.

So waking up to a warm weight on his lap was not what the swordsman expected.

Blinking against the afternoon sunlight, Zoro glanced down to find a ball of feather-scaled wings and dark blue hair curled up against his chest, ears at a relaxed sideways tilt.

Heart giving a pronounced _tha-thump_ , he placed a hand between those twitching wings as support and resettled against the railing, stubbornly ignoring the redness in his ears when Sora melted with a purr.

 _Better here than trying to play a new bouncing game with Luffy_.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cuddled up against Lassoo’s belly as the dog-gun snored, Chopper eagerly cracked open the fresh medical tomb in his lap, eyes sparkling at the crisp pages.

Aries had included the book in Hikari’s weekly ‘delivery’ from the Celestial Spirit World, and he was so excited for a more in-depth look into the biology of canines.

A huff brought Chopper’s attention around to see the cloud-cat climbing onto Lassoo’s head and curling up for a nap, and the little Zoan smiled when he spotted who was following in her wake.

“Sora-chan! Did you wanna read with me?”

The Sky Dragon blinked, ears flicking forward and wings folding neatly down her back before settling in a comfy spot next to him with a curious trill.

“This book’s about dogs.” Chopper explained, turning to the first page where a detailed diagram of a dog’s skeletal system was drawn. “See? It talks all about how they eat and hear and everything! So if something happens to Lassoo, I can make him all better!”

Perking up, Sora took in the printed words again, and the human-reindeer paused, realizing suddenly what was going on.

_After all, why would Eneru ever teach her how to read?_

“Here, I’ll show you.” He decided quickly, shifting the book between them and pointing at the first line. “The dog is a member of the genus Canis, which forms part of the wolf-like canids…”

When Hikari passed by an hour later, chatting with Robin about the historic volume the latter was reading, she could not help the way her heart melted at seeing Chopper sounding out the words while Sora tried to mimic him, completely absorbed.

Robin just smiled, producing a Vision Dial to capture the moment.

“Cute.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes drifted on the warm evening air, strings thrumming with each flick of metallic claws, and Hikari glanced up from where she was sewing up a slice in Zoro’s shirt with a smile.

Gina was propped against the starboard railing, Sora cuddled into her side and watching in amazement as a melody was strung together under calloused fingers, ears twitching up as her cloud-cat purred.

“ **Oh, seconds, hours, so many days...You know what you want, but how long can you wait? Every moment lasts forever, when you feel you’ve lost your way…** ”

Chopper hopped down the aft-deck stairs, eyes wide, before Lassoo snatched him up by the scruff and bounded over.

“ **And what if my chance were already gone? I started believing that I could be wrong...But you gave me one good reason, to fight and never walk away...So here I am, still holding on…** ”

Robin set aside her book, leaning back in her seat and watching clouds float by overhead.

“ **With every step, you climb another mountain...Every breath, it’s harder to believe...You’ll make it through the pain, weather the hurricane, to get to that one thing…** ”

Luffy hung from the mast, humming out of tune, as Zoro slit an eye open from where he was napping above the galley.

“ **Just when you think the road is going nowhere, just when you almost gave up all your dreams...They take you by the hand and show you that you can...There are no boundaries...There are no boundaries…** ”

Nami wiped at her eyes, palms chilled against a glass of tangerine juice, as Usopp ignored his chemistry set with wide, watery eyes.

“ **You can go higher, you can go deeper, there are no boundaries above and beneath you, break every rule, ‘cause there’s nothing between you and your dreams~!** ”

That last note hung in the air for a moment, and Sanji watched smoke rise from his cigarette like dark wisps of cloud.

“ **...With every step, you climb another mountain...Every breath, it’s harder to believe...You’ll make it through the pain, weather the hurricanes to get that one thing...Just when you think the road is going nowhere...Just when you almost gave up everything...They take you by the hand and show you that you can...There are no boundaries…** ”

Gina blinked at a sudden shower of tears, the spell broken as Nami, Usopp, Chopper and a nearby Momoo almost flooded the deck.

“Th-That was _beautiful_ …” The sniper blubbered, Nami nodding rapidly and trying not to water down her juice.

“The whole lot of you are saps.” Gina retorted, cheeks going pink. “Could do a dirge with a kazoo and you’d get all teary…”

There was a tug on her skull-faced long-sleeved shirt, and she looked down into starry twilight eyes.

“Gina-ane, nice!”

Hikari’s heart filled with warmth at the way Gina sputtered, turning red before just slinging an arm around the younger girl for a quick hug to hide it.

“Thanks…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sanji had not needed to be told about the prison cell in God’s Shrine to know what happened to Sora.

Her wings rarely spread more than half their length, usually curled in close like a dress of feather-scales, ears twitching around at every sound from waves breaking on the hull to the sail going taut with a strong breeze, as if everything was new.

The Sky Dragon rarely spoke, though there were times when she made quick affirmations or said someone’s name to get their attention for one reason or another.

The first time Sora called their beautiful navigator Nami-oba, he had almost melted at the surprised, delighted smile that filled Nami-san’s face, or the way Robin-chan had lit up at being named Robin-oba when the young dragon had asked for her to read a story...

So Sanji threw himself into creating more comprehensive meal plans and schedules, timing when Gina got her mid-meal snacks and testing Sora’s palate.

Like Chopper, she seemed to prefer sweet tastes, and fish, though red meat had been eaten with less gusto, even compared to vegetables, which was certainly a contrast to the Iron Dragon who could be a second Luffy when consuming beef and pork.

Tossing a fruit salad, Sanji debated squeezing more fruit juice to chill overnight when there was a tug on his pant’s leg.

Big twilight-purple eyes were looking up at him, ears tilting back against braided pigtails as Sora pouted.

“Sanji-oji, food?”

And the cook melted like a cheap candle.

“Of course, Sora-chan! Why didn’t you tell me you were hungry?! Here, I’ll get the whipped cream for you!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Alright, everyone!” Usopp proclaimed, standing proudly in front of the assembled crew. “The great Captain Usopp and his amazing assistant Gina will now reveal your new weapons!”

Zoro yawned, not particularly interested, and Hikari reached over to smack him upside the head with a glare as the sharpshooter slumped for a moment before rallying.

“Nami!”

The navigator perked up, smiling as Gina pulled out a new Clima-Tact.

Unlike the original, this one was a shiny black, with three small spheres attached to each section and two larger ones on either end, and Nami found the entire connected length a perfect balance in her hand.

“The Perfect Clima-Tact!” Usopp explained, Gina rolling her eyes fondly at his excitement. “The normal functions are powered by a Heat Dial, a Cool Dial, and a Thunder Dial, and Gina figured out how to balance the Eisen and Swamp-Cloud Dials on the ends there!”

“I made the shell out of my iron.” The young dragon added, shuffling her boots on the deck. “So it won’t break on you or anything.”

“Thanks!” Nami cheered, hugging both. “I love it!”

The sharpshooter quailed under Sanji’s glare, and was immensely relieved when Nami pulled back to practice separating the pieces and spinning them in her hands.

Dark clouds poured from one of the large spheres, not a solid mass like they had been up on Skypiea, but Luffy whistled when his hand met the malleable-looking surface with a SMACK rather than sinking through.

Concentrating, their navigator smiled as the clouds twisted, molding into first a ring and then a fist, before she hummed in thought.

"Maybe…"

Swamp-cloud streamed out to meet the iron-cloud, and Sora jumped at the sudden rumble of thunder where they met, hiding behind Luffy as electricity crackled over this formidable thundercloud now hovering around Nami like a cloak.

"Sorry!" She squeaked, dispelling the formation immediately and wincing at how pale Gina had gone at the sound.

"We have to get used to things like that." Hikari reasoned, patting Chopper's head as he peeked out around her with Lassoo. "Especially since I'm partly a Lightning Dragon now. We'll all work on it, okay?"

The crew murmured agreement, though Nami quietly swore to be more careful regardless, and Usopp coughed.

“Actually, Kari, we also made something for you.”

“For me?” The pinkette repeated, surprised.

“Yeah, we were talking with Aquarius, and she helped us create these.” Gina explained, holding out what were undeniably tonfa.

Made from the same black iron as the Perfect Clima-Tact, the weapons were light-weight in her hands, telescoping in and out as her old pair did, with conical points on the end and triggers hidden in the handle as well.

But these had small spheres opposite, just above her grip, and Usopp grinned proudly.

“I call these Asteria Bolts! If you squeeze the trigger for longer than three seconds, it activates the Thunder Dials built in there and turns them into tasers!”

Brow quirking, Hikari did just that and smiled as electricity visibly sparked across the length, tingling into her veins like bubbles from champagne.

“Oh, and Aquarius gave us something to put in, too.” Gina remembered. “She said it was originally some sort of special whip from the Celestial Spirit World? But she managed to turn it into a couple parts we could use to recreate that cool shooting thing your tonfa do.”

“The Fleuve D'Étoiles?” The pinkette breathed, lighting up. “Oh stars, you put the _Fleuve D’Etoiles_ in these?!”

“What’re you talking about?” Zoro wondered, sitting up, and she grinned, aiming a tonfa up and pressing the trigger.

Instead of a long iron cable, jaws dropped when a stream of glowing twilight-blue water shot the pointed tip out, and Hikari twisted her arm around, the water acting like a true whip, coiling and snapping.

A hand sprouted, and Robin cocked her head as the length wrapped around her forearm rather than break apart, the limb falling away into petals.

“Interesting.”

“That’s amazing!” Chopper voiced, eyes wide with stars, as Sora whistled agreement. “It’s just like a whip!”

“So cool!” Luffy agreed, hopping onto her back to get a better look. “How far does it go? Is it really water, or some special mystery liquid?”

“Let’s see.”

Pulling the point off to activate a limited length of the Fleuve D’Etoiles, she wrapped it around the rubber boy’s arm, and Zoro lurched forward to catch their boyfriend when he suddenly swayed backwards like a limp noodle.

“Whoa!” Usopp squeaked as Hikari immediately removed the water-whip, eyes wide.

“Feels like Sea Prism…” Luffy slurred, causing a frown from their swordsman.

“So whatever that thing’s made of, it has those particles in it, right? Like the clouds in Skypiea.”

“Ah, guess putting Sea Prism in the iron wasn’t really necessary then…” Usopp mused, and Nami turned to him in surprise.

“Where’d you get Sea Prism Stone?!”

“I picked some up from Crocodile’s stores when we left Alabasta.” Gina offered, shrugging. “Put a bit in each sphere of your Clima-Tact, and on the top bits of mom’s Asteria Bolts. Figured better safe than sorry when you guys are fighting Devil’s Fruit users.”

“I even put a couple pieces in my new weapon!” Usopp revealed, proudly pulling out what looked like a staff with a U-shaped top that had five stabilizing prongs, long rubber bands tied to each one and connected to a slingshot-pouch. “The Kabuto! With the new design and the help of a Jet Dial, this will take my sniping to a whole new level! Captain Usopp will be able to fell a tree at more than four thousand paces!”

Sora trilled, scales rattling along her wings, as Luffy and Chopper ‘oooooooh’ed in wonder.

“Impressive.” Sanji approved, blowing a stream of smoke into the air.

“That’s the strength of a sniper.” Hikari agreed, smiling. “Being able to protect your crew from a distance. I feel a lot better, knowing you’re covering my back even when I can’t see you.”

Usopp blubbered, all teary-eyed at the sheer _trust_ she had just placed in him, like he was as strong as Luffy or Zoro or Sanji.

“Of course! Protecting what we cherish most as men is the reason why we formed this pirate crew!”

“What are we, chopped liver?” Nami joked, waving off Sanji’s assurances and threats with a giggle.

“We have something for you, too.” Gina voiced, snickering as Usopp peeked around her nervously at the cook. “Mostly just reworked a spare set of your shoes, but we reinforced the sole, toe and heel with my iron and Sea Prism Stone. Hopefully they aren’t too heavy.”

The cook lit up with glee like a child at Christmas, quickly kicking off his black dress shoes to slip on the pair Usopp shakily held out, tapping them securely into place.

Shifting side to side, Sanji skillfully twisted into a crescent kick, both feet spinning up into a full circle before he landed gracefully, not so much as the ash on his cigarette disturbed by the rapid movements.

“Not bad.” The cook approved, smile sharp. “You two make good work.”

Usopp puffed up proudly at the praise and Gina flushed pink, scuffing her boot on the deck.

“These are ingenious.” Robin agreed, a proud tilt to her usual enigmatic smile. “On the Grand Line, weapons made with Sea Prism Stone and dragon-iron are invaluable for survival. You both used a lot of forethought in creating them.”

Usopp was almost floating, and Gina ducked her head with a grumble before perking up, digging through her pocket.

“Oh, here.”

She froze as the young dragon gently took a hand and started slipping bits of dragon-iron over her fingers and thumb, delicate chains clinking where they trailed down the back of each knuckle to a thin plate that guarded the back and around to secure a thicker one over the palm.

Once it was all in place, Robin studied the claw-like points on each finger as Gina put a similar assortment on her other hand, amazed.

“We didn’t add any Sea Prism Stone, but we put Dials in the palms.” Usopp explained, and the archaeologist turned her hands to see the undeniable seashell-swirls that had been painted a shiny black to blend with the metal. “An Impact Dial in the right, a Flame Dial in the left.”

“You made these for me?” Robin managed to say, voice soft, and the sharpshooter nodded without noticing the change.

“Well, it was Gina that came up with the idea, but I helped draw up the blueprint!”

“You don’t have claws like I do.” The Iron Dragon defended, unable to look her in the eye. “Not really fair, so…”

Luffy, Usopp and Chopper all audibly ‘aw’ed as Sora churred, and Gina sputtered while turning bright red, glaring at Zoro’s snicker before Hikari knocked him upside the head.

“Oh, shut up!”

Flexing her fingers, watching a hand bloom easily with a mimicry of metallic claws, Robin smiled as the usual Straw Hat chaos erupted across the deck.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Needles clacking in her hands, Hikari hummed as a shape took form under her crochet needles, gaze flicking at the soft purr that Sora released while cuddling under a gold-silver wing, Chopper tucked against her chest like a teddy and Lassoo curled around them with a snore.

Twin tails swaying calmly, the cloud-cat looked over the water with a curious tilt of the head, ears flicking forward before Usopp shouted from the crow’s nest.

“Emergency report! Emergency report! Ship spotted at twelve o’clock!”

“Huh?” Luffy voiced from where he was hanging off the rigging, upside-down. “Are they bad guys?”

“Actually, there’s no flag or sails! I don’t know _what_ kind of ship it is!”

“No sails?” Gina repeated as Zoro sheathed Wado, frowning. “How the fuck are they supposed to get anywhere without sails?”

“Heck if I know!” Usopp replied, pressing the binoculars tighter to his face. “The crew seems unusually small, too...Plus, they’re looking _really_ timid! Almost like they’re lifeless!”

The ocean rocked, and Nami shouted as a wave rose behind them, simian faces smiling from within.

“Sea Monkeys!”

“For fuck’s sake…” Hikari sighed, returning to her project. “Aquarius?”

Robin blinked as the water parted around them without so much as a roll under the hull, the mermaid-Spirit glaring as her tail curled around a startled Sora and Chopper.

“Damn monkeys…”

“What the-Is that ship gonna be alright?!” Zoro voiced, seeing the wave still heading towards the strange ship ahead, and Sanji jolted up from his poetic praise of Aquarius’ virtues.

“The wave’s gonna swallow ‘em!”

“Hey, you guys!” Luffy shouted, hopping onto the Merry’s figurehead to project his voice as Usopp flailed from above for their attention. “A giant wave and monkeys are coming! Turn!”

The other ship roused at this, but immediately fell into disorganized chaos, some wanting to raid their rivals and others clearly wanting to get to safety, with no captain or navigator taking charge.

“And I thought _you_ guys were hopeless…” Hikari drawled as Aquarius rolled her eyes, creating a geyser to send the hapless fools flying over the wave and further out to sea.

“But you should be careful.” The mermaid-Spirit warned, her serious expression causing Usopp to blanch. “To be missing their sail and Jolly Roger...They must have been on the wrong end of a Davy Back Fight.”

“A Davy Back Fight?” Luffy parroted as their sharpshooter almost died from horror. “What’s that?”

“It’s an old pirate tradition, if one that’s fallen out of use in recent years.” Aquarius explained, petting through Chopper’s fur. “Basically, a Davy Back Fight is a game between two pirate crews...one with high stakes. After both captains agree to the terms, their crews compete in various challenges that are decided by the challenging captain. The prize for victory...is choosing a member of the losing crew to join your own.”

“ _WHAT_!?!”

Hikari rubbed at poor Sora’s ears, trying to soothe the ringing left behind, as Nami gestured wildly.

“That’s absolutely ridiculous! Who would agree to a contest like that?!”

“They would just give up their nakama?” Luffy wondered, expression fierce, and Zoro clapped a hand on his shoulder as Aquarius shrugged.

“That’s the spirit of the game, brat. It was made as a less bloody way of strengthening your crew, since any ‘stolen’ members immediately had to swear loyalty. It’s fallen out of favor precisely because it’s a _pirate_ game, and so cheating is allowed so long as no one can pin it on you.”

“Those who are cunning rather than strong would prefer such a contest over a straight fight they know would be lost.” Robin elaborated, metal claws clinking like windchimes. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a crew challenging those objectively stronger than themselves as a protective maneuver against being wiped out.”

“I would never allow you lovely ladies to suffer such a fate!” Sanji swore, spinning across the deck between them.

“All in favor of avoiding a Davy Back Fight, say ‘aye’!” Usopp squeaked, which elicited an immediate response from everyone besides their silent captain, swordsman and key-holder.

“AYE!”

Dark eyes met across the deck, Hikari quirking a brow as Luffy frowned in thought, Zoro’s arms crossing while his elbow knocked gently against the rubber boy’s arm.

“Alright.” He decided, nodding firmly. “No Davy Back Fights.”

“The humidity and temperature are pretty stable now.” Nami noted, glancing out over the water as Aquarius faded after a kiss to Sora’s head. “So we must already be in the next island’s climate zone. Usopp, do you see anything?”

Lurching back upright, the sharpshooter fumbled his binoculars a moment.

“Land ho! I see an island ahead! There’s a lot of fog, though…”

“Fog?” The navigator repeated, frowning while Luffy cheered. “We gotta be careful. Chopper! Keep forward watch!”

“Right!”

Rising from the water as said fog rolled in, Momoo rumbled curiously and leaned in so Sora could swing up a horn.

“Keep an eye out for other ships, okay?” Hikari advised, and the sea-cow nodded carefully, sinking in up to his muzzle as Sora giggled, wings flaring for balance.

“We’re near the shore!” Luffy shouted from the figurehead. “Get the anchor ready!”

“Guys…” Usopp whined, hanging over the crow’s nest, and Sanji adjusted his cigarette with a flick.

“Chopper! Usopp’s got the ‘Can’t Go On The Island’ disease!”

“There’s no cure for that.” The Zoan replied, Lassoo propping himself on the railing, and Gina snickered while the fog slowly thinned again…

“There’s nothing here!” Zoro realized, looking over the wide plain suddenly spread before them, the horizon only broken by sparse, lonely trees.

“What is this place?!” Their captain cheered, leaping overboard. “So cool!”

“Do you suppose anyone lives here?” Robin wondered as Luffy, Usopp and Chopper rolled across the soft grass with a chorus of giggles.

“We’ll find them soon enough.” Hikari reasoned, smiling as Lassoo pounced on the trio below with a play-growl. “Zoro, you keep an eye on the girls. I’ll take care of the boys.”

“Don’t have all the fun without me.” He teased, leaning in for a quick kiss before she swung over the railing and snickering at Sanji’s hopeless sputtering while dropping their anchor.

“Nikora.”

The carrot-nosed Spirit squeaked as he appeared, skipping after the pinkette as she crossed to where the trio had fallen into breathless laughter, Lassoo panting happily.

“Seriously, guys? At least pretend you know there’s a possible thre-”

Jaws dropped, and Hikari blinked up at what seemed to be a very tall, thin, sandy-furred bear walking by.

“...Huh.”

“A human?” Chopper blurted, confused, and Luffy jumped on the poor creature’s back like a koala.

“No human’s this fluffy and shaggy! It’s a bear!”

Nikora covered his eyes as Usopp and Chopper joined their captain in hanging off said bear’s back.

“Whoa! A bear!”

“A long bear!”

“So high up!”

A rubber hand snapped out to grab a cylindrical fruit from a nearby tree, and Luffy happily chomped into it despite Hikari’s shout.

“Hey, this is an apple! It’s so long!”

“MONKEY D LUFFY, WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT EATING STRANGE FRUIT!?!”

BAM!

“Owwwww…”

Lassoo reared up on his back legs to catch Chopper as the other two were shaken off, Usopp scrambling up while Nikora poked at the rubber boy’s cheek with a shaky hand.

“Hey, look! Is that a house?!”

“Looks like it.” Hikari acknowledged, yanking her boyfriend up with a sigh.

“Let’s check it out!” He decided, marching forward-

Even Lassoo nearly face-planted as they watched a loooooooooong fox-like creature cross their path, and then a loooooooooong deer, their limbs and bodies stretched out like Luffy sometimes got when he overexerted himself to exhaustion.

Even the bird that flew overhead was loooooooooong, wings as wide as the strangely-tall trees from shoulder to tip.

“Okay, this is just weird.” Hikari decided, Nikora squeaking when a dog began to walk by, his loooooooooong body extending so far that no one could see his flanks, and Lassoo’s jaw dropped.

The dog-gun was fairly long himself, having eaten the Dog-Dog Fruit: Model Dachshund, but this was a whole new level!

Luffy lit up with glee, rushing to stand in front of this strange dog and offer a hand.

“Shake!”

The dog obeyed easily, tongue lolling happily, and Chopper pat his fellow Zoan’s head when Lassoo grumbled.

“I know, you do the best shakes.”

“Watch this, Chopper!” Usopp declared, stretching for a moment before effectively turning the loooooooooong dog into a limbo pole, the Zoans cheering him on.

“Wow! You’re awesome, Usopp!”

“Sit!”

The sharpshooter squeaked when he was suddenly yanked out from under the dog, clinging to Hikari’s arm as Luffy smiled sheepishly in the face of her glare and Nikora’s wagging finger.

“Oops?”

“I think that’s enough.” The key-holder decided, patting the loooooooooong dog’s head. “Good boy.”

With a happy yip, he trotted off as the group continued on, eventually coming upon a low, squat, wide house.

“Why’s everything so _long_ here?”

“Grand Line.” Hikari drawled, and the sniper paused.

“...Good point.”

With a curious woof, Lassoo trotted around away from the door, tail flicking at Nikora’s murmur.

“He says there’s something this way.” Chopper translated, eyes going wide. “Guys! We found a horse!”

Hikari blinked, head tilting back, and she chuffed out a laugh before offering a hand for the long-necked creature to scent.

“Hi there, sweetie. Aren’t you gorgeous?”

The hoooooooooorse neighed softly, leaning into the touch.

“Thank you!” The human-reindeer passed on, smiling. “Her name’s Shelly!”

“Well, she’s got a saddle, so _somebody_ has to be here.” Usopp reasoned, noticing how Nikora suddenly tipped his head back with a frown. “Huh? What’s wrong?”

The strange Spirit squeaked and growled, pointing upward, and Hikari followed his gesture to see a pair of bamboo stalks nearby.

“Is something up with those?”

A nod, and she sighed as a pair of wings flexed from her shoulders.

“Alright, I’ll take a look.”

Clearing the roof, Hikari followed the strange bamboo up and up and-

An old man blinked, scruffy and leather-skinned from what must have been a long time spent out in open air without adequate protection.

“...I don’t even want to know.” Hikari decided, grabbing him by the scruff. “Just...I just don’t want to know.”

Eyes bugged when she returned with an extra body in tow, and Shelly reared her long neck back happily with a nicker that seemed to knock the old man from his shock.

“Shelly! You’re here! You waited for me these past ten years?”

“He was up there for ten years?!” Usopp nearly shrieked before a hand smacked over his mouth.

“I-Don’t-Want-To-Know.”

The old man, Tonjit he eventually supplied, eagerly climbed onto Shelly’s saddle as the hoooooooooorse kicked into a gallop over the grass, long legs stretching into a ground-eating lope that proved elegant rather than gangly given her long limbs.

“They really missed each other.” Luffy noted, looping an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders as Nikora climbed up next to Chopper on Lassoo’s shoulders.

“Yeah.” She agreed, exasperation softening into a hint of a smile as Tonjit and Shelly looped back around. “They look happy.”

“Come on, Lassoo!” Chopper encouraged, and the dog-gun yipped as he bounded over, short legs working triple-time to keep up as the hoooooooooorse neighed a welcome.

The moment was sweet and happy, reminding her of young summer days out in the sunshine, always chasing-

A thunderous CRACK, and Shelly _shrieked_ as she toppled, the entire scene shattering like glass.

“Shelly!” Chopper cried out, Lassoo whipping around in shock, and Usopp raced over the grass.

“Old guy!”

Hikari turned, eyes molten-gold and flashing red in the sunlight, to find three newcomers a few yards away.

“That horse is mine now!” The ringleader declared, a fairly stout, rotund man with a hawkish pink-toned nose and split-spiked hair, but his bravado immediately evaporated at the _snarl_ that rolled across the plains towards them.

The gorilla-like man to his right choked, scrambling to hide behind his much-smaller captain, as the pretty young woman gulped audibly.

“Who...the fuck...are _you_?” Hikari hissed out, wings mantling aggressively, and Luffy snorted like a bull, tense as a bowstring.

“You don’t know who I am?” The other captain sputtered, puffing up like Usopp before a dramatic lie. “Don’t pretend you don’t know this face!”

“I _don’t_ know your face!” Luffy shot back. “I’m gonna beat it up!”

The Celestial Dragon blinked when their enemy suddenly collapsed into depression, expression falling from murderous to unimpressed.

“Th-They don’t know me…”

“Oh, no! Boss! Don’t get depressed! He’s lying! I bet he’s just saying that!”

“He’s not.” Hikari deadpanned, metaphorically driving a stake through the man’s heart.

“My name is Foxy! I take whatever I want! Let this be a lesson, you fools! Why are you so worked up about a single horse?! Hunting is nothing more than entertainment!”

“Entertainment, huh?” The pinkette echoed darkly, celestial light pulsing off her skin and the air growing dark. “Then you’ll understand why I’m going to hunt down you and every member of your star-forsaken crew. For _entertainment_.”

“Wait, Dragon Princess Hikari!” Foxy sputtered out, drawing Luffy up short.

“How do you know her name?!”

“Of course we know who you are! We’ve done our homework! Monkey D Luffy, with a hundred-million-beli bounty. Roronoa Zoro, with a sixty-million-beli bounty. Dragneel Hikari, with a sixty-million-beli bounty.”

“A total bounty of two-hundred-and-twenty-million with only ten people…” The woman calculated, rallying. “That’s really something.”

“We Foxy Pirates challenge you Straw Hats to a Davy Back Fight!” Foxy declared, and Luffy froze, gaze flicking to Hikari’s for a moment to see her studying the other pirates.

“...I have one question.” The dragon eventually stated, calm but for the red in her slit pupils. “Would this challenge end in a Captain’s Duel?”

“Of course!” Foxy sputtered, throwing back his shoulders as Usopp and Chopper joined them, out of breath. “It’s only traditional!”

Molten gold locked with waiting black, and she smiled, all sharp fangs and promise.

“I accept your challenge!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To say that Nami was accepting of the circumstances would be a bold-faced lie.

She glared as the Foxy Pirates set up an elaborate fairground to host the Davy Back Fight, complete with stalls and a stage where Luffy had sealed their fate into two games and a Captain’s Duel, quietly seething at this mess that her crew had been thrust into.

“Kari-chan…” Nami finally huffed out, turning to pin her crew-mate with a glare.

Hikari did not so much as glance up, humming an acknowledgement as she turned the last page on a plain-looking little booklet Kurama had provided, and the orange-haired woman scowled.

“Why did you let him do this? What if we lose a game?!”

“We won’t.” She replied simply, which drove Nami a little batty.

Usopp had been dragged off by Gina back onto the Merry, assuring him everything was fine, Zoro had shrugged and decided to get a few tankards of ale, Luffy was eating whatever food someone handed him, Sanji was acting like this was a weird date, Robin had taken Chopper and Sora in search of sweets...

No one was taking this seriously!

“You don’t know that!” She bit back, knuckles going white. “Look around you! This isn’t their first Davy Back Fight! We have no idea what to expect, no time to prepare-How do you expect to win?!”

Closing the booklet in her hands, Hikari finally looked up, and Nami went quiet in awe.

Because her eyes were like iced gold, slit pupils red with cooled fire, and there was a glint of malevolence, a dragon roused from her slumber and waiting for a foolish knight to err too close.

“Because...” The Celestial Dragon began coolly, and her smile promised a hell worse than death. “I have a plan.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Foxy should have known he was doomed when the Straw Hats gathered in front of the stage without a shred of fear on any of their faces.

“I’ll now announce the roster submitted by both teams!” The announcer declared into his microphone. “Participating in Round One’s Donut Race is Nami, Usopp, Tony-Tony Chopper, Nico Robin and Marvell Sora! Participating in Round Two’s Groggy Ring is Roronoa Zoro, Sanji, and Redfox Gina! And finally, Monkey D Luffy will face our own Foxy the Silver Fox in a Captain’s Duel!”

Cheers went up from the crowd, but said captain felt a hint of unease.

Luffy was as fired up as he had been from the start, Sora hanging off his arm, but there was a new edge to Zoro’s smirk as he looked over the assembled Foxy Pirates, like a wolf coming upon a flock of sheep.

Lighting a cigarette, Sanji blew out a stream of smoke and eyed them coolly, tapping the toe of his shoe on the grass in a way that made Foxy think of someone cocking the hammer on a pistol, and Robin smiled in that enigmatic way of hers, the metallic claws on her hands gleaming menacingly as each finger flexed.

Rather than shock and dismay, Nami seemed almost excited now, leaning on her planted Clima-Tact with a smile that promised a swift loss of all your valuables, and Usopp stood tall, grip secure on his Kabuto and almost bouncing on his toes, Gina placing a hand on his shoulder in a calming gesture.

Chopper’s fear had also given way to excitement, and Lassoo grinned over his fellow Zoan’s head in a way that more resembled a wolf than a dog, the cloud-cat perched on his head almost impressed at what she must have seen as stupidity.

And Hikari was smiling like a Sea King that had come upon an unsuspecting boat, ready to swallow them whole.

“Alright! It’s finally time for the merciless Davy Back!” The announcer continued, dramatic as could be. “The winner gets a feast, while the loser gets fleeced! I, Itomimizu, the Foxy Pirates’ party organizer, will be your commentator for this competition! First up is Round One, the Donut Race! Boats for the Donut Race can only be made from two oars and three barrels! Use of any other materials means instant disqualification! This is a chance for shipwrights to show their stuff!”

Turning away, Hikari nodded to the sniper and Iron Dragon, smile softened with pride.

“Gemini.”

The twin Spirits floated out of their Gate with giggles, tiny hands landing on Gina’s shoulders before there was suddenly a second dragon sharing her snicker.

“Get to work, you three. We have a game to win.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gathering at the starting line, the Foxy Pirates were surprised at the barrel-boat that the Straw Hat Pirates had made.

The main body was a good twenty feet long and at least five wide, the cylindrical barrel cut lengthwise in such a way as to minimize splashing to the crew sitting inside while allowing for plenty of room so even the broad-shouldered Zoro could get up with ease.

Two roughly half-sized barrels had been secured to either side for stabilization, and the front of all three had been narrowed into points for ease of movement through the water.

What none of their opponents could see, however, was the layer of dragon-iron practically coating the insides, creating eight neat little benches for each of their crewmates to sit on with plenty of space.

Their order on those benches had also been carefully chosen, Foxy suspected, as he looked over his competition.

Nami was right at the front, followed by Robin, Chopper and Usopp, with little Sora standing in the very back, scales rattling like windchimes.

Next to the so-called Straw Hat Spear, the Cutie Wagon seemed horribly small, and even the Swordfish King Number One and Two were almost short in comparison...

But Foxy could not say anything about the size of their barrels, not when Hikari eyed the giant Mothership Coaster and gave him a smile like a hungry shark.

“I’ll be providing commentary through the race from atop Chirp-Chirp, a rare South Blue Super Sparrow!” Itomimizu announced, and cheers went up from the crowd as he took flight. “Now take these Eternal Poses so you don’t get lost! Try not to leave the island and go _too_ far!”

“So Dragneel-san was right.” Robin mused, their navigator smirking as she caught the delicate tool. “And now we’re ready. Sora?”

The Sky Dragon chirped, wings rustling with excitement, as the announcer circled back around.

“Okay! On your marks! Ready! _GO_!”

The Foxy Pirate ships immediately took off away from shore as the Mothership Coaster prepared to unleash their surprise-

Foxy’s eyes bugged when a sudden gust of air sent the Straw Hat Spear flying off the starting line, Luffy cheering loudly as Sanji gushed.

“That’s it, Sora! You show ‘em!”

“The cutest little mochi, helping the beautiful ladies to victory!”

Then Foxy’s eyes almost popped right out of his head when the planned deluge of seawater- _and explosive barrels_ -suddenly curled back on itself, setting off a tsunami that swallowed his own crews’ ships as the Cutie Wagon struggled to even keep within sight of their only challenger.

“Oops.” Aquarius drawled, and Zoro snickered at the pale faces staring up at her in horror. “Sorry, reflex.”

“You should be more focused up that way.” The swordsman advised, pointing further down the shore. “Unless you want to miss the show.”

Foxy sputtered, leaping onto Hamburg’s back to take off after where the Straw Hat Spear and the Cutie Wagon had disappeared around the bend, and Luffy grinned.

“Kari’s gonna have a lot of fun.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sora, stop!”

Nami’s sudden order halted the young dragon’s next wingbeat, and she turned with perked ears to take in the tangled coral reef rising from the water ahead as their boat slowly bled off speed.

“Kari-chan?”

“There’s a whirlpool on the other side.” The pinkette replied from the shoreline, reclined leisurely on Himeno’s back as the centaur galloped along to keep pace. “And a strip of land beyond that.”

“Just like I thought.” The navigator hummed, taking in the water carefully. “Those strange currents...Wait for my signal, okay Sora?”

The Sky Dragon nodded, wings flexing to their full length, and Hikari quirked a brow as the Cutie Wagon took this chance to get a lead, plunging into the corals-

Foxy almost conked Hamburg with his jaw when Porche and her boat were suddenly spat back out, and Nami grinned.

“Now!”

With a deep sweep of her wings, the air roared and sent the Straw Hat Spear in just as their navigator wanted.

“Try again, Monda!” Porche ordered, frantic to keep up, and Nami sent their key-holder a thumb’s up before disappearing between the coral.

Grabbing a bow, Foxy fumbled a bit for an arrow-

And froze when the weapon was suddenly snatched from his hands, Moro chuckling as she worried the wood with sharp fangs.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Instinct.”

“That’s mine!” He complained, deflating at Hikari’s smirk.

“You’re welcome to take it back, if you want it so badly.”

Moro’s wolfish smile dared him to try.

The Straw Hat Spear burst out from the corals then, and Foxy scrambled to smack Hamburg back into motion as Himeno took off, keeping pace easily as Sora’s next thrust of the wings sent them flying over the whirlpool and the land-blockade beyond with shouts of triumph from her crew.

Robin blinked at a sign suddenly floating in their path, reading the words aloud.

“Donut Race-Turn Right. It’s a course marker.”

“Okay.” Nam voiced cheerfully. “Right we go.”

Wood splintered under her vengeful fist as they passed, utterly unamused.

“Like we’d fall for that!”

Hikari chuckled as she passed a stricken Foxy.

“Idiot.”

The Foxy Pirate Captain fell to his knees in despair, crying outright when the sheer speed of Sora’s winds caused them to effectively miss the surprise geysers rather than be blown apart.

Himeno shook her head sadly as they passed Foxy again only a minute later, dressed up as an old lady while his gorilla-like subordinate cried over his ‘granny’.

“Oh! You on the boat! Save me!”

“AS IF!”

“This is getting sad.” Hikari noted, and Moro nodded as she faded back through her Gate.

“Look! It’s the goal!” Usopp cheered, pointing ahead to the wooden stakes holding up the cloth banner proclaiming their victory.

“Not so fast!” Porche shouted, her fishman and shark companions working hard to keep up.

“Really?!” Nami spat as Sora sent them flying off past the marker. “Cut it out! You’re annoying!”

“You’re pathetic.” Hikari noted, and Himeno giggled as she cantered past a depressed Foxy, Hamburg smothering laughter behind both hands as their own team stopped at the fake goal.

Luffy leaped into the air with a cheer when they came back into sight of their ships and the crowd, Sanji throwing roses as well as praises while Zoro quirked a brow at Gina as she stepped up to join them.

“Round One of the Davy Back Fight, the Donut Race, is about to reach a conclusion!”

Robin raised a brow when she saw Hamburg race to catch up with them, and Chopper clung to her when Foxy held his hand out in a strange gesture.

“Slow Slow Bea-”

The Straw Hats blinked when a whip of star-water wrapped around the enemy captain’s neck and yanked him backwards hard onto his head, Sora waving cutely to her mother before sending them rocketing over the finish line.

“And the winner is the Straw Hat Spear!”

A deafening silence fell over the Foxy Pirates, jaws dropped in disbelief, before Luffy’s glee broke through like a hammer through glass.

“That was awesome!”

“Good job.” Gina praised, scooping Chopper and Sora out before Sanji dramatically offered a hand to Nami and Robin.

“Papa!” The Sky Dragon trilled, holding out her arms until Zoro lifted her into his arms. “Papa, good?”

“You did great.” He assured, patting her ears as Sora lit up with joy.

Blinking away stars, Foxy paled when he was met with a pair of dark, heeled boots, gaze drifting upward slowly to meet Hikari’s smirk.

“So you ate the Slow-Slow Fruit, huh?” She mused, fangs glinting menacingly. “Interesting...So what exactly can you do?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The crews faced each other in front of the main stage, one side shaking in their shoes while Hikari leaned into her captain’s side, whispering quietly before he nodded.

“Now for the long-awaited spoils of war!” Itomimizu announced, still rather chipper, and Luffy smiled.

“I want…”

The Foxy Pirates blinked when he pointed to the side, towards where a familiar looooooooong horse was laying on a small wagon, Tonjit sadly patting her head.

“Shelly!”

“Huh?” The old man blinked as a whole sea of jaws hit the grass.

“WHAT!?!”

“What’s this?!” Itomimizu stammered. “Captain Monkey D Luffy has chosen Shelly, Tonjit’s former horse! What in the world is he thinking?!”

“That we don’t want any of you assholes on our crew.” Hikari drawled, the entire opposing crew face-planting just like their captain did in despair.

“Old guy.” Luffy greeted as Tonjit stepped up, pulling Shelly along. “I took Shelly back from those guys. Now you can always be together.”

“I appreciate it.” The old man replied, tearing up. “Thank you…”

“Don’t worry about it.” Hikari assured, Sora whistling happily to Shelly as the hoooooooooorse nickered. “It was a pleasure.”

With assurances from the other Straw Hats, Tonjit happily went on his way, and Gina grinned.

“So it’s our turn now, right?”

“Don’t get ahead of us.” Zoro teased, ruffling her spiky hair as Sanji lit a fresh cigarette.

“We haven’t even heard the rules yet.”

“What’s it matter?” The Iron Dragon argued, quite a few Foxy Pirates fainting at the sight of her fangs in such a smile. “We’re gonna kick their asses no matter what the rules are.”

“At least wait to hear them.” Nami scolded, though it was somewhat blunted by her smile as they approached the pre-prepared field.

“I’ll now explain the rules of the Groggy Ring!” Itomimizu declared as Zoro, Sanji and Gina stepped out into the chalk outlines. “There’s a field, and two goals! Knock the balls into them and you win! However, the balls are no ordinary balls! They’re people! Both teams, select someone to be a ball!”

“I’ll do it.” Gina offered before the two men could turn on each other like rabid dogs, grabbing the offered hat with a sigh.

“Zoro, Sanji.” Hikari began sweetly as she approached, suddenly grabbing both by the collar and dragging them down to her height. “You’re going to get along for the duration of this game, or so help me, _I’ll make you wish you had_.”

There was no hesitation in their rapid nods, and the pinkette pat their cheeks before returning to the sidelines with Zoro’s swords, eyeing the referee.

“Oh, there it is! Their entrance song!”

Cheers went up from the Foxy Pirates as the figurehead on their ship opened, revealing the chosen team for this round.

“It’s the undefeated elites of Groggy Ring! Yes! Defeat is impossible for them!”

Nami and Usopp’s jaws dropped at the ever-larger _beasts_ that took to the field, everyone’s eyes drawn upward.

“The famous Groggy Monsters have just taken the field! At the lead is Full Dash Hamburg! He’s followed by Tackle Machine Pickles! Last but not least is Big Pan the wotan; a half-fishman, half-giant!”

“ _This_ is what they called us out here for?” Pickles taunted, Hamburg giggling behind his hands. “What a laugh! Right, Big Pan?”

The wotan tilted his head slowly.

“Huh?”

“Oh, I’m gonna enjoy this.” Gina decided, knuckles cracking as the referee stepped forward.

“We’ll start with a coin toss.”

“Tails.” Hamburg decided, and the coin was unveiled to reveal tails.

“Field or ball?”

“Ball.”

“Our Groggy Monsters have chosen the ball! The Straw Hat ball-person will enter-”

Itomimizu cried out in surprise when a sudden gust nearly flipped him off Chirp-Chirp, the bird screeching in surprise as the air suddenly whipped up into a storm of pink fog, obscuring the entire field and even the crowd from sight.

“Wh-Wha-?” Foxy coughed out, a floral-sweetness coating his tongue.

The winds roared, crackling with lightning-

And then suddenly, the fog was swept away, revealing the carnage.

Hamburg had been crushed into a bloody pancake, cratered into the grass, and Pickles had been embedded in the Foxy Pirates’ ship, only his limp legs visible, while Big Pan...

Foxy was horrified to see the wotan’s head basically buried in the ground, smashed down like a bug under a boot.

And there were the Straw Hats, absolute nonchalant in the middle of a blood-spattered field.

“FOUL!” Foxy screeched, pointing at an innocently-blinked Luffy. “You cheated!”

“No, we didn’t.” The rubber boy countered easily, sticking a pinky in his ear.

“Of course you did!”

“Excuse me.” Hikari cut in smoothly, smile sugary-sweet as poison. “What exactly makes you think we cheated?”

“It’s obvious!” Foxy sputtered, flailing towards the field with one hand. “You used that fog to have them beat up the Groggy Monsters!”

“Really?” The dragon wondered, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “And what sort of proof do you have of that?”

He paled, looking around rapidly to see all of his crew were equally clueless, Porche shaking the referee as he stammered.

“I-I didn’t-I couldn’t see-”

“They’re covered in blood!” Foxy pointed out, and a few of his men shuddered when Gina raised her hand, biting back a laugh.

“I can explain that.”

“How?!”

“I got bored when that fog rolled in, so I went and hunted down a weird cat.” She clarified, shrugging. “It was pretty good for being raw. But Sanji-oji’s food is better.”

“Damn right.” The cook agreed, knocking knuckles with the Iron Dragon as jaws dropped all around.

“So you’re telling me…” Foxy began slowly, grasping at his self-control with both hands. “That in the three minutes that fog rolled in, you got bored enough to go hunting, eat your kill raw, and get back here before it went away?”

“Yup.”

Zoro snickered at the veins that popped in Foxy’s forehead, and Nami had to look away, whistling innocently to hide her laughter.

“Makes sense you wouldn’t understand.” Gina reasoned, buffing her claws on a clean patch of her shirt. “You’re not a badass like I am.”

“Obviously.” Zoro approved, high-fiving the snickering dragon as Foxy deflated.

“It hardly matters, anyway.” Hikari waved off nonchalantly, Usopp snickering as Chopper hid in Lassoo’s fur with a snort. “After all, you’ve already lost.”

The entire Foxy Pirate crew froze, only the long caw of a croooooooooow flying overhead piercing the silence.

“What.” Foxy managed to say with strained calm, and Robin hid a smile behind her clawed hand as Hikari pulled out her little booklet, finally revealing the title.

“According to the seventh edition of the Davy Back Fight Rulebook, section three, page twenty-seven, paragraph two, and I quote, If a crew member chosen for a game has been taken in a prior loss, they cannot participate for either side and the crew must compete without them. If the entire selected team is unable to participate, they are officially disqualified.”

Itomimizu fumbled out his own copy, thumbing rapidly through the pages and muttering to himself as Sanji lit a fresh cigarette.

“She’s right!”

“I know that!” Foxy snapped, going red with outrage. “How do _you_ know that?! Where’d you get that book?!”

Kurama slipped around his key-holder’s ankles, nine tails waving cheekily, and Hikari ignored the question.

“Rules are rules, Foxy. Referee?”

The poor man jumped, quailing under the pinkette’s sugary tones.

“If you could call the match, please?”

“But…”

The sun seemed to dim, an eerie light suddenly pulsing off Hikari’s skin as red-slit pupils glowed in molten eyes.

“ _Now_.”

Practically evacuating his bowels right that second, the referee fumbled his whistle and obeyed, sealing their fate.

“And there’s the final whistle!” Itomimizu declared over the speakers, a touch pale as the crowd moved back towards the stage. “The Groggy Ring match is over! Now that Team Straw Hat has won Round Two’s Groggy Ring game, they’re allowed to swipe either a member of the Foxy Pirates’ crew or the Foxy Pirates’ symbol! Who does the Straw Hat Captain want?!”

Knees rattled now as Hikari turned to see Gina’s nod before whispering into Luffy’s ear.

“I want…” He began, grinning rubber-wide. “Your treasure room!”

…

“WHAT!?!”

“If you look at the rules, it’s perfectly legitimate.” Hikari assured sweetly, beli already dancing in Nami’s eyes as the pinkette opened her booklet again. “Let’s see...Ah, here we are. Section fourteen, page one-hundred-and-five, paragraph four, and I quote, Should a winning captain not be able or is unwilling to choose a member of the opposing crew or their Jolly Roger, they are allowed to choose the contents of a room aboard the opposing crews’ ship.”

“But…but…” Foxy blubbered, shrinking under the almost demonic force of Luffy, Zoro and Sanji as Usopp took in the scene with glee.

“Do you have a problem with that, Split-Head?”

“Down, boys.” Hikari voiced, amused, and the trio subsided like a tide to leave a ghostly Foxy face-planted on the grass. “Virgo.”

The maid-Spirit bowed primly as she appeared before walking towards the Sexy Foxy, set on gathering every beli that was owed, and Luffy giggled.

“Now it’s time for that duel!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The stands floated just outside of the duel’s boundaries, high enough to provide a clear view of the Sexy Foxy’s main deck as fireworks went off.

“Now, for today’s main event...Combat! The bell will ring shortly!”

“Just in time.”

Sora chirped, reaching up from her seat next to Chopper and Lassoo with pleading eyes.

“Papa!”

With a shake of the head, a freshly-washed Zoro plopped down and lifted the young Sky Dragon onto his lap, Sanji grumbling as Gina and the Zoans boxed him in, the cloud-cat hopping onto the swordsman’s head with a purr.

“It’s going to start!” Nami hissed, and the cook immediately sat between her and Robin, obediently quiet as dramatic introduction music boomed from the speakers.

“First, in the left figurehead corner...A man who takes on all challengers, and boasts a legendary, undefeated record of nine-hundred-and-twenty wins and zero losses!”

A door opened with copious smoke, revealing the rotund captain and a number of backup dancers.

“Our boss, Silver Fox Foxy!”

The other door opened, and Usopp stepped out behind a figure draped in what seemed like a bedsheet.

“And in the right corner, hailing from East Blue! The leader of a miniscule pirate band with a hundred-million-beli bounty! Straw Hat Monkey D Luffy!”

A roar went through the crowd as Luffy threw off his covering-

“Damn it.”

Nami jolted at the irritated sigh, turning to see Hikari weaving her way through the cheering Foxy Pirates.

“I should’ve known they’d try that…”

“Hey, mom.” Gina voiced, shifting to help make room as the older dragon took a seat next to Chopper. “What took you so long?”

“A pep talk.”

“Wow! The afroed Luffy is all fired up in the right corner! Both fighters have stepped onto the battlefield! Can Straw Hat successfully knock our boss out of the circle and protect his crew and pride?!”

Lassoo howled as the Straw Hats cheered, Luffy shadow-boxing with enough strength that Foxy stumbled back from the shockwave.

“Or will our boss’ legendary undefeated streak strip him of everything he has?! The final and fateful combat round of the Davy Back Fight is about to begin!”

“Don’t worry, Straw Hat!” Foxy taunted as their hype men were escorted off the Sexy Foxy. “I’ll make sure to treat that key-holder like a princess once she’s on my crew!”

Sora squeaked when she was suddenly deposited on her mother’s lap, Sanji’s shoe slamming a dent into the railing as Zoro unsheathed Wado and Sandai Kitetsu.

“What the fuck did you say about Kari, you bastard?!”

“As if I would ever allow you all to live if you touched Hikari-hime!”

While their sudden violence was concerning, Foxy was immediately aware of how all of the easy-going, excited cheer had drained out of Luffy’s face, leaving behind a fierce blankness that burned through to his soul.

“The two pirates are now all alone on the spacious battlefield! Excitement fills the stands! It’s plunder or be plundered! Silver Fox Foxy versus Straw Hat Luffy!”

The bell rang-

And Foxy was knocked right off his feet, nose bent and gushing blood.

A stunned silence fell over the crowd then, even Zoro pulling up short with a sharp blink, as Luffy’s arm snapped back.

“I won’t let you touch Kari.” He swore, and then the fight was on.

“Slow Slow Beam!”

Dodging around the beam, the rubber captain lashed out with a Whip that took out his opponent at the ankles, following closely as Foxy toppled towards the man deck with a series of squeaks.

Landing hard, the man hopped back to his feet and rushed to a nearby rope, grinning when Luffy followed him.

“Welcome to my ship!” He jeered, pulling hard-

Foxy blinked when nothing happened, glancing around wildly as Luffy stalked closer.

“What the-? Take this!”

A flipped switch, and nothing.

“Damn it! THIS!”

A spun wheel, a hidden pressure plate, a yanked chain-

“WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL OF MY TRAPS!?!”

Gina cackled as Foxy fled in a panic from the unstoppable force that was Luffy, his Slow Slow Beams unable to land with how the rubber captain twisted around them.

“Never fuck with a Straw Hat, you split-head bastard!”

“Split-head…”

“GUM GUM GATLING!”

“Oh, he really shouldn’t have stopped…” Nami sympathized as the other captain was punched through to the interior of his own ship with Luffy following close behind.

“He deserves it!” Chopper declared, climbing onto Hikari’s lap to hug tight with Sora. “Big meanie! He’s not getting mom!”

“Mama, no!” The Sky Dragon agreed, burrowing closer.

“Hey now, it’s alright…” The key-holder soothed, patting their heads as Zoro scowled.

An explosion rocked the Sexy Foxy, and Nami jolted forward in her seat, hands wrapped tight around her Clima-Tact.

“Kari-chan?”

“We only make a move if he can’t save himself from falling.” The pinkette reminded her, though Robin noted a hand now gripping the key-ring at her hip.

Unease was spreading through the stands, and Sanji was lighting his third cigarette when a heavy THUD and faint roar of flames caused the Sexy Foxy to buck in the water.

“What was that?!” Usopp worried, and Gina lurched out of her seat when a single, heavy THUMP caused the ocean to roll as smoke exploded off the aft-side main deck.

“Oh my! There’s activity on the deck!” Itomimizu shouted, everyone straining to see through the dark gray cloud. “Who has the upper hand?! Or could the fight be over now?!”

“Luffy…” Hikari muttered, heart dropping as the wind blew some of the smoke away.

“Our boss is the one still standing! Meanwhile, Straw Hat is charred black! He seems to have taken some seriously heavy punches!”

“Damn it, Luffy!” Zoro cursed, thumping his fist on the railing. “Get up!”

“How could some simple punches burn him?!” Nami protested, horrified. “What did he do?!”

“Luffy!” Chopper blubbered along with Usopp, before Robin raised a hand.

“Look.”

“Straw Hat Luffy is up!”

Hikari released a breath, even if she was concerned at the blood dripping down his face as Foxy turned in surprise.

“Just when it seemed he was down for the count, he got back up!”

“Slow Slow Beam Sword!” Foxy called, catching Luffy’s wrists and ankles in the focused effects of his power before pulling back spiked gloves. “Megaton Nine-Tails Rush! Rush! Rush! Rush! Rush! Rush!”

Luffy flew once the effects wore off, smacking off the mast and falling hard.

“He’s down for sure this time-No, wait! Straw Hat Luffy is up!”

“LUFFY!” Hikari shouted, his head twitching around as he scooped something up and wobbled back upright. “One more punch!”

Battered and burned and bleeding, the rubber captain nodded slowly.

“I won’t...let you have...a single member of my crew…” He wheezed out, eyes blazing and piercing right through Foxy. “Even if it costs me my life!”

“Then I’ll just beat you down again!” Foxy blustered, charging in with fists raised. “Megaton Nine-Tails Rush!”

“Gum Gum Gatling!”

The pair exchanged a furious flurry of blows, Itomimizu’s commentary fading out as everyone watched Foxy take one hit through the frenzy, two, three, four-

“Slow Slow Beam!”

And _stopped_.

Luffy stumbled, and the Foxy Pirates realized what happened when their boss failed to do the same before something clattered to the deck.

“A mirror! A mirror fragment has fallen from Straw Hat’s hand!”

“It was stuck in my afro…” He explained heavily, straightening. “It’s from the mirror in your room.”

Winding up his arm, Luffy glared as Foxy tried in vain to get away.

“Gum Gum...FLAIL!”

Smiles began to spread across the Straw Hat’s faces, and Gina held up a fist.

“Ten!”

“Nine!” Usopp cheered, teary-eyed.

“Eight!” Chopper blurted, pulling on Lassoo’s ears for balance.

“Seven!” Nami nearly shrieked, jumping for joy.

“Six.” Robin continued, unable to help a smile.

“Five.” Sanji muttered around his cigarette, pleased.

“Four!” Sora chirped, cloud-cat mewing sharply.

“Three.” Zoro stated calmly, smirking.

“Two.” Hikari murmured, pleased.

“ONE!”

And Foxy went flying.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Warm and sleep-heavy, Luffy blinked to find familiar dark eyes peering down at him, Hikari smiling as the sun made her messy curls shine like a sunset.

“Hey, sleepy-head. Feeling better?”

“Yeah…” He muttered, relaxing fully as Sora popped into view with a happy purr. “So I won?”

“Most amazing win I’ve ever seen, dad.” Gina assured, and Usopp puffed up proudly as he held out the treasured straw hat.

“I was never worried in the least!”

“Liar.” Sanji muttered, tapping ash off his cigarette.

“Boss!”

Nami stood with help from her Clima-Tact as Foxy stormed up, equally bandaged and determined.

“Hey, Straw Hat! How dare you tarnish my legendary undefeated streak?!”

“Not like he challenged _you_ , you know.” Hikari drawled as the rubber boy sat up, blinking at the hand being offered.

“Put ‘er there, brother!”

Luffy blinked, reaching to accept-

“Spiteful Shoulder Throw!”

Zoro sighed as his boyfriend’s arm merely stretched, causing Foxy to knock his own head.

“Are you that stupid?”

“Have you forgotten the rules?!” The angry captain spat, pointing. “Choose your person already!”

“Yes, the final exchange awaits!”

Luffy frowned, arms crossing in thought and leaning back as Hikari murmured a suggestion.

“Hm...Give us your pirate flag!”

“WHAT!?!”

“You can’t be serious!” Foxy protested. “You’d strip us of our pride just like that?!”

“I don’t need your sail.” Luffy shrugged off. “You need it to go places, after all.”

“But our symbol’s on there!” Another crew-member pointed out. “How do you expect us to use the sail?!”

“We don’t need your pity! Just take what’s yours!”

“Alright, since your mark is all we need, I’ll draw a new one over it for you.” The straw-hat boy decided, and Sora’s head tilted at the snort Nami released, smacking a hand over her mouth. “That way you can keep your sail.”

“Should we tell them?” The navigator whispered, and Hikari shook her head, smile predator-pleased.

“Nah...Let ‘em burn.”

Foxy would regret the day he ever got on the wrong side of Dragon Princess Dragneel for the rest of his life.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m _so_ glad you’re on our side, Kari-chan!” Nami gushed, practically dancing with glee over the plains as they followed Tonjit and Shelly back to his house.

“It’s certainly preferable.” Robin agreed, an amused tilt to her mouth as Sanji noodled along.

“Hikari-hime is an avenging angel that burns the unworthy from this world!”

“...Are you high?” Hikari drawled, Sora giggling from her place on Luffy’s back as the rubber boy bounced along.

“Nah, he’s just stupid.” Zoro retorted, snapping the cook from his woman-happy daze.

“What was that, marimo?!”

“You heard me, pervy cook!”

BAM!

THWACK!

“You’re worse than children.” The pinkette scolded, Gina snickering at their grumbles and glares. “I swear, if you two get into a squabble and break anything in this man’s house, I’m cleaning it with your _faces_.”

“Ah, but mom, that’s dangerous!” Chopper protested, Lassoo chuffing in amusement as the smaller Zoan flailed. “What if they break a glass?! It could take out an eye!”

“Then they shouldn’t break anything, sweetheart.”

“OI!”

“So cold!” Usopp taunted, voice shaking on a laugh, and squeaked at the glare Zoro swung his way next.

“Papa, nice!” Sora scolded with a pout, and Luffy snickered at the grimace that crossed his boyfriend’s face. “Usopp-oji, bad!”

The sharpshooter melted into a sad pile on the grass, and Gina reached down to lift him up by the scruff as she passed, Nami laughing at their antics.

But Robin noticed the sudden tilt to Hikari’s head, eyes flashing gold as she scented the air...

And froze.

“Hey, who’s that?”

Luffy pulled up short at a sharp gasp, turning to see their archaeologist had fallen back, staring in horror at the tall, well-dressed man lazily pulling a sleeping mask off his face.

“Marine Admiral Aokiji.”

Hikari’s tight, even tone had all of the Straw Hats going tense, hands falling to their weapons as Gina’s hands were sheathed in iron scales and Sora whimpered, her cloud-cat hissing a warning.

“What are you doing here?”

“Now, now, don’t be so bloodthirsty, guys.” He replied easily, Chopper’s grip on Lassoo’s ears tight. “It’s not like I’m here on orders. Since it’s a nice day, I took a stroll here.”

Robin was shaking when a hand gently touched her shoulder, and she looked up into sharp gold eyes before Hikari returned her full attention to Aokiji.

“And took a nap while standing upright?” She drawled, pressing her other hand on Zoro’s arm to keep him from drawing Wado.

“Why don’t you go deal with big-time pirates with several-hundred-million-beli bounties?!” Usopp demanded, Kabuto held in a white-knuckled grip and bands pulled tight.

“Jeez, hold on…” Aokiji sighed, holding up his hands in a peace gesture. “I said I just took a stroll, didn’t I? Don’t get so worked up. To start with, you guys are...whatchamacallit...you know...I forgot. Oh well.”

“You don’t make much sense!” Usopp complained, though he had inched around to hide behind Hikari with Robin. “There’s no way this guy is an Admiral!”

“I know who I’m talking about.” The pinkette confirmed, a bit of exasperation bleeding through her tension. “His motto is Lazy Justice for a reason.”

“In any case, well...Oh, excuse me for a sec…”

The Straw Hats watched, dumbfounded, as Aokiji spread out his jacket to lie down without a care.

“Standing made me tired.”

“Then why were you sleeping standing up?” Nami demanded, two sections of her Clima-Tact spinning uneasily in each hand.

“Anyway, to make a long story short, I have no intention of capturing you guys, so don’t worry. I came here to check the whereabouts of Nico Robin, who disappeared after the Alabasta incident, that’s all.”

Gina tensed, bristling with scales now, and moved to block the archaeologist further from view with a growl.

“Just as I thought, she’s been with you guys. I’m going to at least report this to Headquarters, though, as with another wanted person, the total bounty for you guys has now changed.” Aokiji continued, apathetic as he counted on each finger. “A hundred million...plus sixty million...plus sixty million...plus seventy-nine million equals...I don’t know exactly, but I’m sure it’s not too shabby.”

“If that’s all you wanted…” Hikari considered, glancing towards Tonjit. “Do you mind taking a few minutes to help him cross to the next few islands on this ring? Tonjit was separated from his village when they migrated, so they must be three ahead by now.”

“Hm...Why not?” He agreed on a yawn, pointing to the startled old man. “Get ready to depart immediately.”

“Kari-” Luffy sputtered, and she fixed him with a deadpan stare.

“He’s a marine, Luffy, and Tonjit’s not a pirate.”

“Oh...right.”

Still, Hikari made a point of staying right by Robin as they helped pack up all of Tonjit’s belongings and supplies onto a wagon for Shelly to pull and set off towards the shore opposite where the Merry was anchored, Momoo waiting patiently for their return.

Aokiji was a tall shadow over them all, but Luffy was enough of his oblivious self to chat with the Admiral anyway, though Sora was now hanging off Zoro’s shoulders instead.

“Dragneel-san…”

The key-holder glanced up to see a more composed expression steeling Robin’s face, but her eyes darted up to the lanky marine every few moments, a frightened blue more like a disturbed stream than a calm lake.

“Why would you…?”

“You’re one of us, Nico Robin.” She replied firmly. “Admiral or not, I won’t let any of you go without a fight.”

She could only nod, throat tight, and join the others in watching Aokiji step up to the water a few yards away.

“Step back a bit.”

Sora’s scales rattled as he dipped a hand into the water, and Chopper shrieked when a large yellow Sea King burst from underneath the surface, maw wide open to swallow it’s supposed prey whole-

“Ice Age.”

The Straw Hats stared in horrified awe at the frozen sea creature, and then the iced ocean that stretched out as far as the eye could see.

“Kari-chan…” Nami whispered, grip tight on her Clima-Tact, and Usopp glanced over worriedly.

“Logia.” She confirmed, jaw tight as Gina shook from the sudden backdraft of frigid air. “The Chilly-Chilly Fruit.”

The ice crackled when Aokiji straightened, frost breaking off his clothes.

“This will probably last at least a week. Take your time and head in that direction. It’s a little cold, so dress warmly like walking.”

Tonjit nodded dumbly before fumbling out a blanket for Shelly and happily saying his goodbyes, taking off across the ice at a canter.

“Bye, old guy!”

“Bye, Shelly!”

“See ya!”

“Take care!”

“Be safe on your trip!”

But Hikari was watching the Marine Admiral sitting lazily on the shore, eyes like a lazy arctic wolf.

Luffy and Zoro caught on immediately, then Sanji, until the entire Straw Hat crew was standing just past the iced ocean and staring down Admiral Aokiji together in silence.

“What?” The rubber boy eventually asked, rubbing his arms at the cold.

“How should I put it…” He muttered, elbows resting loosely on each knee. “You’re just like your gramps, Monkey D Luffy.”

The sudden fright on his face did not help anyone else’s tension, though Hikari’s eyes went wide.

“You don’t mean…”

“You’re free-spirited, or should I say you’re hard to figure out?” Aokiji mused, before shrugging. “Your gramps really helped me out a while back. The reason I came here was to have a look at Nico Robin and you. On second thought...Maybe you should die now, huh?”

Sora whistled sharply, wings mantling, and Gina growled as her arms shifted into swords immediately, Chopper already taking on his Heavy Point while hefting up a gun-form Lassoo.

“The government is still taking you guys lightly...” The Admiral continued, unphased by the dark iron-clouds already spinning from Nami’s Perfect Clima-Tact as Usopp pulled back the fresh pellets in his Kabuto. “But if I delve into your history, I can tell that your group has a backbone. Although your crew is small, since it’s gathering shrewd members, it’ll probably become a problem later on.”

Zoro’s hand fell to Wado’s hilt, and Sanji shifted his stance just so, cigarette crumpling between his teeth.

“The circumstances that initially led to your search orders...All the actions you took up until now...The speed of your group’s progress...I’ve been dealing with outlaws for a long time, but it worries me to think how you’ll turn out.”

“B-But…” Usopp stammered, quieting at the quick flash of gold in Hikari’s eyes.

“The reason I especially regard you guys as dangerous is you, Nico Robin.”

“So you’re after Robin, after all!” Luffy burst, fists clenched. “I’m gonna beat the crap out of you!”

“Her bounty amount isn’t just an indication of her strength.” Aokiji explained, unruffled. “It also indicates the level of danger she poses to the government. That’s why you got a seventy-nine-million beli bounty on your head at the age of eight.”

Eyes burning, the pinkette fully unsheathed her Asteria Bolts, locked onto him like a waiting beast.

“I’m impressed that you survived as a child. You betrayed people and ran away. You gained people’s favor and used them. You’ve survived in the underworld by being quick to switch sides. So this is the group that you chose as your next hideout, huh?”

“Enough.”

Sanji’s shout died on his tongue at the quiet fury in Hikari’s voice, and Robin’s shaking gaze swung down in surprise.

“You don’t get to hunt her down like a rabid dog, force her to run and hide for _twenty years_ , and then blame her for what she had to do to survive in a world willing to turn on her for the price you put on her head.” She bit out, celestial light wavering off her skin like smoke. “Eight years old...You turned on a _child_ , not because she was a physical threat, but because she knows something the World Nobles want to stay hidden.”

Aokiji was quiet, eyes shadowed, at the piercing look she gave then.

“How do you call that ‘justice’, Admiral Aokiji? How do you call that ‘ _peace_ ’?”

“...Your words are sharp, Dragon Princess.” He acknowledged, grabbing a few blades of grass. “But it doesn’t matter. Nico Robin’s death can only benefit the world.”

Rocking upright, the Logia threw his handful up and blew a breath, creating a paper-thin blade that fit easily in one hand.

“Ice Saber.”

Robin raised her hands in a familiar stance, claws rustling, as the lanky Admiral swung-

“Shishi Sonson!”

The ice shattered, leaving both to look at Zoro in disbelief as Luffy leaped into the fray.

“Gum Gum Pistol!”

“Sai Kuru!”

Aokiji caught the Paramecia by his incoming fist and the swordsman by his elbow, and both screamed as ice pierced right through to the bone in burning cold spikes-

“CELESTIAL DRAGON’S IRON FIST!”

The Logia grunted in surprise when Hikari’s fist made contact with his face, and she hissed at the ice that surged up her forearm before Aokiji stumbled back, releasing all three.

“Shit…”

There was a sudden _roar_ , and Zoro’s eyes widened as a familiar cloud-cat whizzed by, overcome by a surge of hellish-blue flames-

Everyone’s jaws dropped when she burst out the other side bigger than a horse, twin tails and massive paws trailing fire as sword-like canines were bared in a gush of blue light that had the Admiral dodging sideways.

“WHAT!?!”

“A Mythical Zoan?” Aokiji realized, and the massive feline whipped around with a snarl, red eyes flashing.

“Take one more step, two-leg, and I’ll melt you into vapor.”

“ _WHAT_!?!”

“If you insist on getting in my way…”

Steam filled the air as ice met fire, obscuring the immediate area, and then there was a _yowl_ -

“KILALA!”

Wind whipped up into a gale, and Aokiji stumbled back a few steps as the thick-furred cloud-cat collapsed heavily on her side, a foreleg and a good section of her side iced into dead weight.

Sora’s eyes were silver with rage, wings mantled and ears pinned back, as a furious hiss escaped between bared fangs.

“Not again.” Gina agreed, bristling with sharpened scales. “Iron Dragon’s Spires!”

Her claws sank into the ice-encrusted soil, and spears of metal rushed out towards the Admiral, who side-stepped each point with lazy ease.

“Now!”

“Cherry Blossom Blizzard!”

Explosions of pink smoke filled the dangerous tangle of iron, swiftly followed by a multitude of _actual_ explosions when Usopp fired off a barrage of pellets.

“Fire Bird Star!”

Whipping the iron-clouds around in a sharp ring, Nami flung it out hard with a quick addition of moist swamp-cloud like a shuriken.

“Iron Thunderbolt Tempo!”

The entire cloud lit up like fireworks, sparks from her ring impacting the spires causing a secondary chain reaction, and the Straw Hats watched as they eventually petered out, waiting…

"Well…"

Usopp nearly had a heart attack when Aokiji appeared in the rubble, completely unmarked and loosening his tie.

"If I wasn't a Logia, that would have stung…"

Sora whimpered, shifting back as Gina cursed-

"Aquarius!"

"TORRENT!"

The startled Admiral froze the sudden surge in midair, and Hikari lurched to her feet as Aquarius floated close, knuckles pale.

"I'm surprised." Aokiji voiced after a few moments. "To think you're here, of all places...Why are you protecting them?"

"These people…" She forced out, pausing for a fortifying breath. "These people are…"

Luffy went still at the sheen of tears, Zoro's heart dropping in his chest.

"These people are my treasure!" Hikari declared for the stars themselves to hear, starlight roaring off her skin. "And I won't let you touch any of them again as long as I'm here!"

The ice on her flesh cracked, burning away into vapor, as her palms came together.

"LIGHTNING CELESTIAL DRAGON MODE!"

Electricity crackled off her claws, her spreading wings, but Luffy only had a moment to appreciate the sight before the ground seemed to slide underneath him.

"Whoa!"

“Oi!” Zoro choked out, trying to pull back when a film of water rose up to lift them off the ground.

“Kari-chan!” Nami yelped, arms pinwheeling for balance as the entire crew was suddenly encased in a large floating bubble, everyone smooshed against a startled Kilala while Sora squeaked.

“Go.” Hikari growled, and Usopp fumbled the ring of keys suddenly tossed at his face, going pale.

“Kari-!”

“Dragneel-san!” Robin protested, trying to claw through as Sanji slammed his dragon-iron-enforced shoes against the barrier.

“Hikari-hime!”

“Get to the Merry and protect Robin.” The key-holder ordered, steeled against Luffy’s impotent scream and Zoro’s cursing. “I’ll hold him here.”

They knew she didn’t plan on making it back.

“KARI!!!”

A wave of the arm sent the bubble flying, and Aokiji watched them go before meeting Hikari’s eyes again.

“Lightning Celestial Dragon’s Brilliant Flame!”

Celestial fire and lightning met in a raging inferno, tearing through the icy air like some hungry beast-

A wall of ice blocked the way, and his gaze flicked up in surprise to suddenly find a dragon bearing down on him from above.

“Lightning Celestial Dragon’s CANNON!”

Leaping back, both were lost in a rush of icy debris.

“Water Pillar!”

With a quick flash-freeze, Aokiji used her attack to rise above the debris, glancing around-

A gush of star-studded water wrapped around his neck, and Hikari twisted, Asteria Bolts crackling as she slammed the entire length of her Fleur D’Estoules into the plains with Aokiji in tow.

“Lightning Celestial Dragon’s Secret Art...” The pinkette breathed, muscles starting to tremble. “Golden Lotus…”

Hands landed on tensed shoulders, squeezing gently.

“Unison Raid.”

Aokiji sat up as key-holder and Celestial Spirit began to give off an otherworldly light.

“EXPLODING LIGHTNING BLADE!”

The onslaught was blinding, all star-fire and thunder and raging storm, shearing through Long Ring Long for more than a mile before Hikari collapsed, muscles going to jelly as her wings fell away.

“Fuck…”

Because Aokiji was rising from the exposed dirt, brushing off his pristine white pants, and Aquarius rose up in turn, ice cracking.

“You’re at your limit.” He noted absently, watching blood drip from her lips and well up in each eye like unshed tears. “Dragon or not, key-holder or not, you can’t win this fight. Are you really willing to die for them...Heartfilia?”

A _snarl_ rolled across the grass, rattled what few trees had managed to remain standing, and Hikari rose like a marionette with broken strings, eyes molten gold and shedding red.

“I am a Dragneel.” She denied fiercely, Aquarius steadying her with one hand. “And I would give up _everything_ for them.”


	26. Water Seven Arc: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Okay, so I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do here, it's just going to take time to get all the kinks out. This is more of a bridging chapter, getting you guys from the cliffhanger of last chapter into the real meat of this coming arc. Hopefully, it's enough to keep you all satisfied!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

Consciousness returned slowly, like layers of sediment building upon a bank under breaking waves, the world rocking gently as a mother’s arms.

Blinking hazily, Hikari took in a clear gold-tinted sky incomprehensibly, gaze catching on the sail that pulled taut with a morning breeze.

_The Merry…? I thought he’d…_

“Dragneel-san.”

Head rolling lazily to the side, a smile bloomed at seeing Robin, brain catching on the old porcelain and warm saltwater between them in confusion.

“Robin…?”

“You were frozen solid, Dragneel-san.” The archaeologist explained calmly, a hand blooming to test the temperature. “Marvell-san used her powers to stabilize you while Doctor-san filled this tub, so you could benefit from direct light while thawing.”

Taking a deep breath, the pinkette closed her eyes as light came in like a cool drink of water on a hot summer day, like a mug of hot chocolate after playing in the snow, before sitting up carefully to take in her crew.

Now that she was more awake, Hikari realized fingers were threaded through hers, palms pressed tight, and there was Luffy, sprawled across the tub’s lip and so fast asleep he was drooling, one arm like a limp noodle from being held underwater with hers for so long, and then Zoro on the other side, arm held awkwardly over the side to keep her own completely submerged.

Robin was perched next to him, and Nami’s head was resting in her lap, curled tight around her Perfect Clima-Tact, while Sanji was leaning against the tub, one leg bent and foot flat on the deck as if ready to leap up at a moment’s notice.

The cloud-cat- _Kilala?_ -was still in her larger form, Sora tucked up against her warm underbelly and Gina propped up against her back, Chopper and Lassoo cradled on her lap while Usopp snored from where he was using those large twin tails as blankets.

“How long…?”

“You were frozen for a few hours, but fully thawed two days ago.” Robin answered calmly, mask cracking for a moment. “We...the crew was very worried about when you would wake up.”

Blinking slowly, a sad smile formed across Hikari’s face.

“You know...I didn’t realize before how much your eyes remind me of my brother’s.”

The archaeologist paused, taking in the melancholy in those dark eyes studying her.

“Back then...I didn’t know how much he was struggling, how afraid he was…”

Zoro shifted at the sudden flex of her right hand, squeezing tight as a thumb rubbed over the fairy inked there.

“I couldn’t save him.” Hikari admitted, the pain a jagged scar that beat in time with Robin’s heart. “But I’m going to save you.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To say that the Straw Hats cried when they woke up would be an _understatement_.

By the time things calmed down, most of the crew was snotty and ruddy-cheeked and still sniffling, Luffy buried in her cleavage like a stubborn barnacle that had apparently decided breathing was overrated.

“C’mere.” Zoro grunted, lifting both onto his lap and grumbling when Sora and Chopper immediately joined them, Lassoo curling up on one side and Gina taking the other.

“We’re just so glad you’re okay, Kari-chan.” Nami managed, wiping at her eyes while Usopp blubbered, Sanji slumped against the floor and still bawling his eyes out. “We thought…”

“Honestly, you guys, I’m fine.” Hikari assured, petting Luffy’s salt-coarse hair when his rubbery arms tightened around her.

“Are you sure?” Chopper fretted, climbing up to check her temperature and her pupils and her pulse. “You don’t feel sluggish? Cold? Achy?”

“You two-legs worry too much.” Kilala scoffed, settling next to Lassoo with a flick of her twin tails, and there were a few nods…

“Hey…”

“Now that you mention it…”

Nami and Usopp pointed as the crew whipped around.

“SINCE WHEN COULD YOU TALK!?!”

“I’ve always been able to talk.” The feline replied, amused. “But there hasn’t been a need for a long time.”

“Did you eat a Devil’s Fruit?” Robin wondered, and Kilala tipped her head respectfully as Chopper plopped onto Lassoo’s back.

“Yes. I ate the Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Nekomata, as was my right as partner to the next alpha of the Sky Dragons.”

“Next alpha?” Zoro repeated, looking down at Sora as she snuggled under Hikari’s arm.

“It’s an old pact that was made centuries ago.” Kilala explained, paws crossing regally. “When the Marvells came to the sky-islands, they met my ancestor, the first cloud-cat to become a Nekomata. She became their protector and guide, and in honor of her, the Sky Dragons found a way to ‘capture’ the Devil’s Fruit and pass it on. When I chose Sora as a kitten, it was always expected I would eat the Fruit once my mother passed.”

Her ears ticked back, and Luffy came up for air to yank Sora into a hug when she keened.

“And then Eneru came.”

“Aokiji reminded you of that day.” Nami realized, remembering herself the moment when said Admiral had taken down their three strongest fighters with barely a flinch.

“...You all have been good to my Sora.” Kilala admitted, red eyes landing on the Sky Dragon. “And she doesn’t deserve to lose another family. As her protector, I had to act, even if it was futile.”

Giggling, Luffy stretched out a hand to pat her head, laughing outright at the almost affronted look the nekomata gave him.

“You’re a good cat!”

“Damn bouncy two-leg…” Kilala grumbled, but no one missed how she leaned into the touch.

“Still, that was scary…” Usopp voiced, his blubbery relief fading into unease now. “Are we going to be facing a lot of guys like that from now on?”

“Eventually.” Hikari admitted, seeing the sudden new set to Luffy’s jaw and feeling how Zoro tensed behind them. “Which is why we’re going to keep getting stronger, if we want to reach Raftel.”

“...I’m gonna train.” Gina stated firmly, rocking to her feet. “I’ll be back for dinner.”

“Me, too!” Usopp agreed, scrambling up.

“I need to get a better feel for my Perfect Clima-Tact, too.” Nami added, spinning the staff-like weapon in her hand.

“I’ll make bento for you to take.” Sanji decided, lighting a cigarette as he headed up towards the galley. “Then I’ll train, too.”

“Make three for me!” Luffy ordered, grin fierce-edged.

“Train!” Sora echoed, wings flaring and ears twitching. “Train!”

“I’ll take Gina.” Zoro decided, pressing a kiss to damp curls before shifting her onto the deck. “Gonna teach her the flying slash move I learned on Skypiea.”

“You should rest, mom.” Chopper advised, Lassoo rising with a yip. “We’ll keep an eye on Sora-chan and train, too! I wanna work on my Points and Lassoo’s aim!”

“As if I’d leave my Sora in the paws of a mutt.” Kilala scoffed, placing a large paw on the dog-gun’s head when he growled and barked at the insult. “I’ll show you how a cat fights.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, Kari-chan!” Nami assured, dropping the rope ladder.

“Get plenty of sleep, and we’ll see you at dinner!” Usopp added, scrambling down while Gina just leaped over the railing.

“Hurry up, pop! I wanna learn that flying slash!”

“Oi, slow down!”

“Sanji, bring those bento quick!” Luffy shouted, popping a wet kiss to Hikari’s cheek as he bounced away.

“I’ve been meaning to properly test my new claws.” Robin mused, stepping down from the Merry on bloomed legs.

“Chop-ani! Chop-ani, hurry!” Sora whined, and the human-Zoan yelped when he was suddenly picked up and flying overboard.

“SORA-CHAN!”

“So impatient.” Kilala sighed, lifting Lassoo by his scruff and taking flight after her dragon.

Watching them go, the Going Merry rocking with each salt-fresh breeze and busy sounds floating from the galley, Hikari shook her head with a smile, face tipping up towards the sun.

 _A nap sounded nice_ …

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sitting on the railing of the anchored Going Merry, Hikari folded her legs and breathed out slowly, the dragon in her chest unfurling with a trill as it lapped up the sunlight like a cat.

There was still an ache deep in her bones, like the lightning they had called on had cracked through the shell in the manner roots might worm through stone, but time was working well enough to ease it.

The Celestial Dragon slit an eye open to see a tree fall in the distance, unable to help a proud smile.

 _Seems like Gina’s finally mastered the Seventy-Two Pound Raven_...

Firing one of her Asteria Bolts and nabbing a good-sized rock, Hikari tested the weight a moment before tossing it up-

A Fire Bird Star struck dead center, and she smiled, watching it fall harmlessly into the water.

Usopp had been really honing his aim, going to the edges of Kabuto’s range and taking out whatever targets came up, and evenings after dinner were spent over his chemistry kit, working out new pellet formulas.

Cloud formations were forming to the east, rain misting from them for a minute or so before going dry, darkening in color like a thunderhead before spitting a tongue of lightning.

The original Clima-Tact may have been more a party favor than a weapon, but the Perfect version was proving much more effective at creating new, localized weather patterns quick as magic in Nami’s hands, and Hikari suspected that the calm morning meant she had drilled Usopp in bojutsu again.

A spiraling cone of wind rose from the west, higher and wider than it had been yet, and the pinkette watched as pink smoke was picked up and ignited in a muted explosion from blue flames.

Chopper and Sora had been collaborating all day, not only strengthening themselves but playing off each other’s attacks, and the results spoke for themselves.

Further in that direction, she saw a stand of artificially-grouped trees, roughly six trunks deep, splinter rather spectacularly with a spray of embers.

Sanji had apparently been working on his power, and was tearing through the local trees almost as quickly as Zoro was.

In fact...

Wood flew, neat planks falling perfectly into place, higher and higher, and Hikari glanced back to the storage room where similar piles had been stored away for any necessary repairs on the Merry with a sigh.

 _He definitely has a lot of aggression to work out_...

Long Ring Long quaked, and she saw a great plume of debris rise, expression deadpan, as Momoo reared out of the water with a squeak.

 _Speaking of working out aggression_... 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, Kari…”

Glancing away from the nighttime sea, Hikari offered a smile as Usopp peeked into the crow’s nest.

“What are you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep…” He admitted sheepishly, clambering in quickly to settle next to her sitting against the mast.

“There’s a bit of that going around.” She conceded, thumb brushing the fairy inked on her skin. “Wanna talk about it?”

The sniper rocked anxiously for a few moments, contemplating, and she waited patiently for him to start.

"...I'm sorry."

Hikari blinked at the blurted apology.

"What?"

"I'm sorry I'm not strong!" Usopp nearly shouted, as if the words refused to be held in any longer. "You wouldn't have had to face that Admiral if you could have counted on me to help! But my Fire Bird Star didn't do anything and-"

"Usopp!" Hikari barked, shaking him once by the shoulders to cut off the verbal bile. "Usopp, you have nothing to be sorry for."

"But…"

"We all do what we can." The pinkette reminded him, grip easing. "Usopp... You're brilliant. You make things out of metal scraps that I can't even imagine, and you can make a shot from two miles away, already calculating the wind and gravity and where your target might move, in _seconds_. No one else on the crew can do that. Not me, not Luffy, not Zoro...Just you. And there are times when that's more than enough, but this wasn't one of them."

She blew out a heavy breath, sitting back.

"A sniper is strongest from a distance, like a swordsman is best in close quarters. You did what you could, just like all of us did. To even attempt to shoot at an Admiral...There's nothing for you to be ashamed of."

Hikari was startled by the sudden waterfall of blubbery tears, flailing futilely for a moment before Usopp clamped onto her in a hug.

"H-Hey, when did we get all mushy?" She sputtered, returning the embrace and rocking side to side. "I didn't say anything you don't already know…"

None of his words came out anywhere near coherent amid all the snot and sobs, so the key-holder just held on until he fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion, sighing.

 _Boys_ …

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a sigh, Zoro melted across the extra-wide bunk as gentle fingers pressed out the knots along his shoulders, turning a hand to flip Luffy off when he snickered.

“Zoro’s like a cat.”

“Not everyone’s made of rubber.” Hikari reminded their captain, leaning in on a stubborn spot that forced a guttural groan from the swordsman’s chest.

Giggling, Luffy slid in next to him and popped a kiss on their boyfriend’s nose, which earned a grumble and an arm slung over his shoulders, Zoro lazily pressing one back on the Paramecia’s mouth.

A smile curled Hikari’s face as she leaned up the swordsman’s back, heartbeat to heartbeat, and her hand pressed against the knuckles of Luffy’s hand, warm where there had been ice, and the pinkette kissed the sensitive inner skin of Zoro’s elbow, earning a fresh shiver.

An arm stretched to curl callous-rough fingers through loose curls, the rubber boy twisting up to her mouth with a sigh, and the swordsman turned beneath her, large hands running up from hips to waist.

“Kari?” Luffy wondered, and she sighed, settling into them.

“This. Just...this.”

When Robin stepped into the girl’s room, heels quiet on the steps, she paused to take in the sight of three bodies tangled together on the opposite bunk, Luffy snoring loud enough to ruffle Hikari’s hair as she hid against Zoro’s neck.

A smile unfurled as Gina slipped past, Sora and Chopper on her heels, and were accepted in the pile without complaint, the elder dragon tucked under Zoro’s arm while the younger curled in the slim space between Luffy and Hikari with their furry brother, already falling into dreams.

Hands bloomed, carefully drawing the blankets around them, and Robin toed off her shoes without a sound.

They deserved this.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the anchor raised, a fresh breeze in the sail and Momoo secure in his harness, the Straw Hat Pirates finally pulled away from Long Ring Long Island and back out to open sea, following the steady needle of Nami’s Log Pose.

Stretching, Hikari looked over the Going Merry with a resigned acceptance.

Breakfast had been a rushed affair, even by their standards, and she was seeing why.

Usopp had immediately claimed the crow’s nest, goggles clicked into place, and Gina was perched on the aft-side railing, firing off Kunai with one hand while the other morphed into a sword.

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Seventy-Two Pound Raven!”

“Fire Bird Star!”

Of the ten projectiles that went out, nine fell into the ocean aflame, and the Iron Dragon barked out a laugh.

“Alright, Usopp, you got me that time! Let’s up the ante, huh?”

The next spray was doubled, as was the next, each time her slashes came faster and his shots picked up speed, until only a very foolish sea-beast would have dared try to follow the Merry with how much dragon-iron and air-slashes and fire was trailing her.

Nami was standing among her tangerine trees, eyes closed as she spun each section of her Perfect Clima-Tact...

Cool Balls and Heat Balls spun from the spherical tips, twisting around each other and forming twisting cloud formations, fog, winds gusting in from one side and rain misting from the other, hail clattering onto the deck as snow floated down before melting immediately on contact with her skin.

Every few minutes, the radius of her influence inched wider, and a smile formed when a sudden burst of wind tore through like an arrow.

Sora grinned, wings fluttering wide, and took off into the turbulence.

Now it was a battle of weather and dragon, the Sky Dragon flowing along the sudden twists and turns of wind almost like a dancer before spinning into kicks and punches that cut right through the sudden clouds, diving and soaring with all the grace of a predatory bird.

Shielded by a shell of iron-clouds, Nami smiled as she whipped out twisters of rain and cyclones of hail, mind working as fast as her hands to keep pace.

Sanji was standing on the stern-side railing, apparently practicing his kicks...

But Hikari saw how the water rippled out, further and further with every swing, and smiled at the thought that some of Sora’s training had inspired him.

Chopper was sitting behind Gina with his own set of glasses and vials and chemicals, muttering about ratios as Lassoo nosed another glass sphere over to be filled as pinkish-blue smoke was whipped away by the aftereffects of various storms overhead, and paused to bounce ideas when Kilala mewed from her perch on top of his hat.

Robin was sitting serenely on a lawn chair, whittling away carefully at a plank of wood from their stores with deft claw-tipped fingers, adjusting the stream on her Flame Dial to scorch intricate designs, and Zoro was going through forms with all three of his swords, each swing powerful and controlled, shirt already stripped away so Hikari could appreciate the flex of muscles as they worked.

Even Luffy was focused on doing _something_ from his usual perch on the figurehead, limbs stretching in rapid kicks and punches for a span of time before going quiet for twice as long.

With a nice POP, Hikari sighed and settled into a runner’s stance, jaw clenching as lightning thrummed through her muscles.

She could hardly just sit by, with how hard everyone else was working.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Petals fell gently from overhead, a rainbow of cherry blossoms fluttering through the air and reflecting the golden light like crystals to dapple the grass.

Blinking slowly, Hikari frowned and pressed a hand to her heart.

The solid _tha-thump_ that knocked back was reassuring, a sign that this world was not forming again from edging across the threshold of death’s door, muscles relaxing on a sigh...

“Hello.”

And suddenly she was face-to-face with a small figure, face obscured by the hood of a raincoat and a wooden hammer hanging from child-sized hands.

_Was this…?_

“Merry?” Hikari choked out, heart sinking in her chest when the other smiled.

“I’m glad I got to see you, before I go.”

“Go?” The pinkette echoed, reaching out to grab this apparition by the shoulders. “You’re not going anywhere we aren’t! We just need to get you properly fixed-”

“Kari.” Merry cut off softly, emanating sadness and this quiet sort of acceptance that made Hikari’s heart squeeze with old memories.

 _No, not like this, **not like**_ -

“I can’t be fixed.” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Didn’t think there were so many ways you could cook potatoes…” Gina mused, crunching happily on the paille that Sanji had whipped up for the crew as a quick snack.

“Tasty!” Chopper and Sora declared happily, Lassoo attempting to get another mouthful from his fellow Zoan’s plate as Kilala magnanimously accepted a bite offered to her.

“Yummy!” Luffy agreed around a full mouth, and Hikari reached out to close his jaw fully, amused.

“Hey…” Zoro voiced, looking past the figurehead with a frown. “What’s…?”

Swallowing quickly, Usopp pulled down his goggles and peered over the water past Momoo’s head…

“IT’S A GIANT FROG!” The sniper yelped, stumbling up in surprise. “A GIANT FROG DOING THE FRONT CRAWL!”

“What?” Nami voiced, joining the curious crew at the bow-side railing. “There’s no way-WHY IS A FROG DOING THE FRONT CRAWL?!”

“Well, doggy-paddling wasn’t gonna get him anywhere.” Hikari drawled, arms crossed as she took in the strange beast.

He was certainly large, probably bigger than Kilala in her nekomata form, a mottled brown-yellow with a pale, scarred underbelly and wild black hair held back in a sumo-style topknot, and indeed doing a rather determined front-crawl through the water just a bit faster than the Going Merry was sailing.

Momoo had paused, head tilting in confusion, before Luffy suddenly leaped onto his head, legs wrapping around a horn.

“FOLLOW HIM, MOMOO!”

With a resounding moo, the sea-cow took off at top speed after his target, and Robin stumbled a step at how Merry lurched beneath them.

“Careful!” Hikari warned, pressing a hand to the figurehead’s arched neck as Chopper clambered up onto Gina’s shoulder for a better view.

“Furl the sail!” Nami ordered, and Sanji happily went to do so as Momoo picked up speed under their captain’s encouragement.

“Hey, it’s heading for a lighthouse!” Usopp realized, and Sora hopped onto Zoro’s shoulders to stretch up, wings spread for balance.

“In the middle of the ocean?” The Iron Dragon clarified, frowning. “Why would you put one there?”

“To warn ships about something, I’m sure.” Robin noted, Kilala’s ears flicking up to attention as Luffy threw up his hands.

“FULL SPEED AHEAD!”

The lighthouse swiftly came into view, sitting on a little knob of manicured grass with a squat building on the concrete-raised shoreline, a chain-link walkway connecting it to a slip of concrete just a bit away, and everyone yelped when Momoo suddenly put on the brakes with a shriek.

“WHOA!” Chopper squeaked, Gina steadying him with one hand while catching Usopp with the other, Lassoo yelping as he slid into her legs.

“What the hell?!” Sanji bit out, steadying Nami and Robin with both hands from where he had slipped into the figurehead.

“Wait…”

Hikari’s voice pulled the cook up short, and Zoro turned to her with a frown.

“Kari?”

“I hear…”

“Sounds like an engine…” Gina agreed after a moment, and Sora’s ears perked.

“Boat?”

“No.” Kilala argued, rising behind them in a gush of hellfire. “There’s a crackling...Yes, mutt, almost like a whistle and a wheel on a track…”

The pinkette froze, seeing their target climb up onto something under the water.

“Momoo, pull back!”

“What?!”

“Kari!” Luffy whined when the sea-cow immediately obeyed, pausing at the buoys that bobbed as they passed back over them. “Hey, what’re those?”

“The markers for the tracks.” Hikari answered, and Nami turned at a sudden blaring alarm, blinking up at a pair of flashing lights overhead.

“Tracks?” Zoro repeated, confused. “Tracks for what?”

A faint whistle caught their attention then, and all eyes turned to the port side as a dark form appeared quickly on the water.

“The Puffing Tom.”

And the wonder of Water Seven made itself known.

A monster of dark steel and steam, the locomotive roared past them in a blur of spinning wheels, right for-

“Hey, frog! Run! What are you doing?!” Luffy shouted, horrified.

The amphibian made no move to do so, rising into a sumo stance to meet the train, and Sora pushed off Zoro’s shoulder, swinging around in a kick.

“Sky Dragon’s CLAW!”

A tight vortex of wind flew from her leg, and jaws dropped when the frog was suddenly flying like a ragdoll over the water, the Puffing Tom speeding on its way without a care.

Slowly, all eyes turned to the little girl that landed primly on Merry’s railing, little blue sundress fluttering back into place as she turned back, chirping happily.

“Frog safe!”

“That’s my girl.” Hikari cooed, pulling the young dragon into a cuddle that was eagerly accepted with a purr.

“Since when did she get so strong…?” Usopp wondered, remembering the shy little shadow that had joined them in Skypiea, and Gina snickered.

“Don’t judge a dragon by their size, oji. We just might bite.”

“What the hell was that, anyway?!” Nami demanded, still a touch pale.

“The Puffing Tom is a sea-train that connects Water Seven, Saint Poplar, San Faldo, Pucci and Enies Lobby.” The pinkette explained, adjusting Sora on her hip as Kilala overlooked the tracks with interest. “It rides on those undersea tracks there, and takes passengers, supplies and even ships from place to place, revolutionizing travel in this area roughly a decade ago. Momoo must have heard the special tone the wheels make on the railway that’s meant to deter Sea Kings.”

“Wow!” Luffy breathed, eyes wide and full of stars. “So it’s a train that rides on the sea?!”

“So cool!” Usopp and Chopper agreed, Lassoo snickering.

“Basically. It was made by a legendary shipwright, so I have no idea how exactly they got it to work.”

“Your brilliance shines like light off the waves, Hikari-hime!” Sanji gushed, noodling in circles.

“If you guys would just _read books_ -”

“Grandma! Grandma! Pirates are here!”

A child’s unexpected shout drew the crew up short, reminding them of the lighthouse, and Momoo murmured apologetically as a stout, round woman with bushy green pigtails waddled out, a glass bottle in hand.

“What?! Is that true, Chimney?! Okay then, bring the Transponder Snail to me!”

She fell hard as the little girl and her blue-furred rabbit-cat pet rushed off, and Hikari rubbed her forehead with a sigh.

“Here it is, Grandma!”

“Er...Hello? Let’s see...What was it? I forget.”

“So she’s drunk?!” Usopp sputtered, and Gina pat his shoulder with repressed laughter.

“Hi!” Sora chirped, waving as Kilala returned to her cloud-cat form. “Friends?”

Apparently, even having your own fairly cute granddaughter did nothing to inoculate against sheer cuteness.

“I’m Chimney.” The young girl introduced, petting the cloud-cat and pointing to her own pet. “This is our cat, Gonbe, and Grandma Kokoro.”

“You guys aren’t train robbers, are you?” The woman joked, taking another swig of her alcohol as Chimney initiated a game of tag with the bouncy Sky Dragon around the station.

“I’m Luffy.” Their captain voiced, grinning. “I’m the man who’ll be Pirate King.”

“Really?” Chimney gasped, and he snickered.

“Yeah!”

“So, where are you headed?” Kokoro wondered amicably, chuckling when Chimney raced past with Sora in hot pursuit.

“Water Seven.” Hikari answered decisively, and Zoro quirked a brow in surprise.

“Why?” Nami wondered, glancing down at her Log Pose.

“Because the best shipwrights in the entire world are there.” The pinkette elaborated, looking back towards the Going Merry. “And we need the best to fix Merry.”

“Water Seven it is!” Usopp quickly agreed, shaking Luffy by the shoulders. “With all the gold we got, we could even have them do upgrades!”

“Or add some extra space.” Gina offered, grinning. “Been wanting a workshop!”

“Oh, and a bigger infirmary!” Chopper agreed, bouncing on Lassoo’s shoulders.

“An upgraded kitchen!” Sanji cheered, already imagining the results, and Zoro rolled his eyes.

“The Log is pointing east of here.” Their navigator voiced, and Kokoro nodded.

“That would be Water Seven. The City of Water...It’s a nice place.”

“There’s gotta be some amazing shipwrights, right?!” Luffy realized, bouncing with Usopp. “I’ve decided! We’re gonna go there and get a shipwright to join our crew for sure!”

“Oh, is that right?” The station attendant hummed, rising slowly. “Then hold on a sec.”

Momoo leaned in, dripping water on an annoyed Sanji, as Kokoro waddled inside for a few minutes, Kilala turning away from where Sora had tackled Chimney when the old woman returned with a pair of folded letters.

“Well then, here’s a simple map of the island and a reference letter. Give this to a guy named Iceberg and ask him to fix your ship good.”

“Iceberg?” Hikari parroted, eyes going wide.

“Do you know him, Kari?” Luffy wondered as Usopp snatched up the letter with enthusiastic praise.

“...No.” She said after a while, gaze flicking away. “Just surprised. Iceberg is the mayor of Water Seven and president of the Galley-La Company, the biggest and best ship-building company there is. Getting a recommendation letter…”

“That’s great!” Nami squealed, hugging an amused Robin in her joy.

“This is amazing!” Usopp blubbered, and Sanji sighed, patting the sniper’s head when he latched on like a limpet.

Sniffling with joy, Momoo lowered his head so the excited crew could climb up him back onto the Merry, Sora chirping a goodbye as she hopped up straight from the station to the main deck.

“We’re gonna go back to Water Seven soon, too.” Chimney noted, and Kokoro smiled.

“Yeah. If I see you guys again, I’ll treat you to a drink at my favorite bar.”

“I hope we’ll see you guys again!” Luffy agreed, Momoo rising with a wave. “Alright, guys! Get ready to sail!”

“Thanks for all your help, Kokoro-san!” Nami added as the crew shouted their agreement. “Momoo!”

Tail rising, Momoo surged against his harness with renewed determination, and the children laughed as they were nearly bucked off their feet.

“Hey…”

Zoro curled a hand through pink curls, gently tugging the key-holder’s head back to meet her eyes.

“What happened?”

Those dark eyes flicked, a flash of old pain and scars, her pulse visibly jumping when Luffy glanced over.

“...Nothing.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Luffy, leave the shipwright search to me.”

Glancing up from the cards in her hand, Hikari shook her head at Sanji’s heart-eye stupor as Nikora put down another pair.

“I’ll find an incredibly pretty woman!”

“Are you an idiot?!” Luffy retorted, Pyxus humming as he looked over his hand. “It’s a shipwright we’re talking about! It’s gotta be a big guy like a mountain! Five meters tall!”

“But if he’s too big, we don’t know if he could live okay on this ship.” Usopp reasoned, Gina sharpening her claws on the razor-edge of her guitar.

“Especially if he’s part _giant_.”

“All that matters is that he’s skilled, right?” Zoro grumbled, Kilala popping up from where she had nestled on his head when Sora hung off his arm. “More importantly, the question is if we could find someone crazy enough to want to be on a pirate ship.”

“Especially _this_ pirate ship.” Hikari drawled, quirking a brow at how Nikora tried to take a peek at her cards.

“I’m looking forward to it.” Chopper squealed, hugging Lassoo’s neck. “We’re gonna have another new friend!”

“We were lucky to stop at the station first, since they drew a map for us.” Nami noted, unfolding the paper. “If we go to the place on the map and visit Iceberg-san-Too simple to figure out!”

“She took maybe two minutes to draw it, what did you expect?” Gina wondered, snickering at the glare sent her way.

“So, we’re gonna all look for a guy like this.” Luffy ordered, holding up a drawing of what he wanted, and Hikari sighed.

“Sweetheart, we’ve talked about this. Usopp does all the drawing on this crew so we don’t gouge out our eyes.”

“HEY!”

Sora giggled at his glare, and Nami clapped her hands to grab everyone’s attention.

“Okay, I’ll give you some allowance for the next week we’re gonna stay here. Don’t go spending it all at once!”

“YAY!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Water Seven was a miracle.

There was no grass or trees or rock, just a city rising on slopes up from the ocean, water gushing from the very top like a fountain that funneled through rivers and streams back down.

The Straw Hats were in awe, taking in the buildings that seemed to tumble down, ships meandering about on gentle swells.

“How interesting…” Robin mused, leaning a hip on the railing. “It looks like the water comes from the fountain, goes through the canals and falls into the sea.”

“Hey, do you wanna race on those water slides?” Luffy wondered, and Chopper turned to take in said ‘slides’-

BAM!

“Like hell you are!” Hikari growled, Zoro snickering as their boyfriend twitched from his new place on the deck. “You’re a fucking _anchor_ , you moron!”

"Oh, yeah…"

"Where are we docking?" Gina wondered, frowning out at the shoreline. "Best shipwrights in the world probably get plenty of Marines as clients, right? So we shouldn't drop anchor out front…"

"Back?" Sora offered, and Usopp cupped his chin thoughtfully.

"Back...Hey, Sora's right! There must be a back door! We can dock there!"

"Momoo, take us around." Nami ordered, and the sea-cow whistled before going to starboard, staying low in the water to avoid drawing more attention than a black flag already would.

“What do those numbers mean?” Zoro wondered, and Usopp frowned as they passed one, the number six emblazoned on what looked like a massive door.

“Don’t know.”

“I bet those are the entrances for the five-meter shipwrights.” Luffy declared, and Chopper squeaked.

“There are that many?!”

THUMP!

“Behave!” Hikari chided, scooping up the little Zoan as Gina laughed outright at Luffy’s pain. “We need to go through the backstreets here, and I don’t want you freaking out the locals.”

Scattered around the base of Water Seven, as she said, were entire networks of half-submerged buildings, small boats gliding past while merchant stalls floated to either side, people bustling along on concrete pathways built along the raised buildings.

“Wow! This place is so cool!” Luffy gaped, Sora perched on his back and gazing around in wonder. “What a beautiful city!”

“The houses are submerged in the sea.” Chopper realized, peering over the railing, and Lassoo chuffed.

“That’s not it.” Robin informed them, smiling at how Sanji was going all doe-eyed at the beautiful women sitting outside a cafe. “The city was designed with the base being submerged. Look at the foundation underneath the buildings.”

“Yeah, they’re definitely higher.” Gina agreed, and the cook smiled.

“That’s why it’s called the City of Water, huh?”

“If Kokoro-san’s map is anywhere near accurate…” Hikari voiced, unable to help a snort of laughter as she looked over the rough outline. “There should be a cape up ahead where we can drop anchor.”

“Alright!” Luffy cheered, nearly toppling back into Zoro. “Let’s go!”

Just as expected, there was a rugged little spot of land past the walls of Water Seven, only connected by a thin bridge, and the Straw Hats quickly went about furling the sail and tying the Merry to a few sturdy rocks in excitement.

“Alright, we’re all gonna have to split up to get everything we need.” Hikari stated firmly, grabbing Luffy by the neck before he could take off without them. “Nami, Usopp, Gina, you’re with me and Luffy. We’re gonna cash in our gold and head to Galley-La to meet with Iceberg-san. Sanji, Robin, Chopper, you guys can do a supply run. Zoro, Sora, you guard Merry.”

“Papa, nap!” Sora chirped, leaping into the swordsman’s arms, and he ruffled her pigtails with a smirk as Kilala yawned. “You’re catching on, kid.”

“Keep an eye on Chopper?” Hikari asked while Nami wrangled Luffy and Usopp into bagging their gold. “Last time I trusted Sanji, he ended up miles out of town at an oasis in the middle of a desert.”

“Don’t worry.” Robin assured, amused as she was by the mental image. “I’ll take care of Doctor-san.”

“Much appreciated.”

“Kari-chan!” Nami called, patting the two large bags towering over her.

“Got it. Virgo!”

The maid-Spirit bowed neatly, nodding primly before hefting the bags up with one hand to disappear in the folds of her skirt.

“Ready, hime.”

“Alright!” Luffy cheered, Usopp yelping when he was grabbed around the waist and yanked over the railing. “Let’s go!”

“LUFFY!”

“And that’s why we didn’t use them as pack mules.” Nami pointed out, Gina nodding after a moment.

“Fair enough.”

“Come on.” Hikari sighed, reaching up to meet Zoro’s kiss halfway before following them. “I’m not paying for damages.”


	27. Water Seven Arc: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> As I'm sure you all suspected, this chapter tried to kill me with dehydration. I recommend a box of tissues for the next few updates, honestly...
> 
> Also, I started a Tumblr a couple of days ago, https://dragonprincess18.tumblr.com/, to link with my new drabble collection, 'Moonbeams and Stardust'. I'll not only be sharing whatever prompts and AUs and such there, but fanart and funny posts, if any of you are interested. I'm taking requests!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

“Wow…” Luffy breathed, head turning to take in every building and side-canal from where he was leaning over the head of a yagara bull, instinctively trusting the grip Hikari had on the back of his vest.

“This city really is built around canals…” Nami mused, looking over the proper map they had been provided from her own water-steed, Gina leaning back casually between her and Usopp. “We need to go to the downtown shopping district...So we should turn here.”

“Hey, those are flowing down.” Usopp realized, taking in the two raised canals up ahead. “Can we go up those?”

“Hold on.” Hikari warned, curling an arm around her seat, and Gina immediately grabbed onto the sniper as Nami turned, confused.

“Wh-?”

The yagara took that opportunity to lurch forward into a veritable _gallop_ , speeding up the leftmost canal and over the rooftops without a hitch.

Luffy shrieked in delight, arms thrown up and grin stretching even wider from the wind, which was only highlighted by the terrified screams of their navigator and sniper as they clung to a hysterically laughing Gina when a drop came into view.

“Monkey D Luffy, _sit your ass down right now_!” Hikari snarled, yanking the Paramecia back into his seat with a yelp moments before their yagara tipped over the edge.

Gravity, cruel mistress that she was, dragged them down the canal at literally breakneck speed, water spraying as they swerved around curves before launching into open air-

“KARI-CHAN!!!”

And crashed into a wider canal, thoroughly soaked from the sudden displacement of water, Luffy giggling as Hikari brushed back her sodden ponytail with a sigh.

“Well, at least we’re downtown.”

Nami peeked out of where she was hiding against Gina’s shoulder, relaxing at the sight of various floating stalls and eager salesmen, yagara swimming calmly from one to the next as people haggled prices on food and trinkets and cloth and herbs.

Stores stood open behind them, the scent of fresh pastries wafting from a bakery while fresh wood-polish marked a custom furniture store, people crowding the sidewalks with their wares.

“I’ve never been to such an energetic shopping district!” Usopp voiced, looking around in wonder.

“Hell of a shortcut.” Gina noted, shaking out her messy spikes before blinking up at a large boat passing by with colorfully-dressed, masked passengers.

“Huh…”

“There must be some sort of festival going on.” Hikari voiced, sitting up with a grunt and grabbing the reins. “Look, there’s a water gate elevator over that way.”

Jolting from her thoughts, Nami steered their own yagara to follow, sadistically pleased when their captain’s pleas for food were met with a solid THUD.

“A water gate elevator?” Usopp wondered, looking up at the tower of stone as they approached.

“Water Seven’s divided into two sections.” The pinkette explained as an attendant waved them and a few other yagara into the empty, cylindrical space. “The shipbuilding island, and the backstreets. The backstreets are mostly residential, but the shipbuilding downtown area and the shipyards are on the highest part of the island.”

“That’s a lot of water.” Gina voiced, eyeing the rather sizeable waterfall inside the ‘elevator’, and the key-holder smiled.

“Just wait.”

The gate rolled closed behind them, and Usopp squeaked, looking down and then up in shock as they began to rise.

“We’re going up!”

“That’s usually what happens when you pour water into a closed space.” Hikari teased, yelping when Luffy dragged her forward into his lap to squeeze the pinkette.

“So cool!”

“They use water for all sorts of things.” Nami approved, impressed by the ingenuity as they reached the upper gate.

“We’re here!” The rubber-boy cheered when both yagara spilled out onto the main thoroughfare beyond. “So this is the world’s number one shipyard! Downtown Water Seven!”

Hikari smiled as her crewmates voiced their own appreciation, head turning at the sight of a crowd growing around what looked like an entrance to one of the shipyards.

“Ah, that must be Dock One.” She noted, steering them towards an area where the yagara could be safely left out of traffic.

“Why are all those people there?” Usopp wondered, swaying as he climbed out after Nami.

“This is a shipbuilding island.” The pinkette reminded them, Luffy giggling as he rode along on her back. “They’re kinda like the chefs on the Baratie. Not only are they first-class shipwrights, but they’re able to beat up pirates that might try to stiff them, too. Some idiots probably tried to pull a fast one and put on a show getting beat up.”

“That’s a good sign for us.” Gina approved, rocking back on her heels with a smirk. “If they’re strong, they can keep up.”

“Let’s go see them!” Luffy decided, whining when the key-holder reached back to grab a rubbery cheek.

“First, we should exchange our gold, idiot. Nami?”

“Ah, it should be down this way…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Humming to herself, Sora played with the mobile cube in her hands, curled up on a snoring Zoro’s lap as she twisted the colored squares to match with each other.

Twin tails flicking in the still air, Kilala looked out over calm waters, blinking lazily against the glare of a late-morning sun as a few bubbles popped up from below, carrying the half-muted echoes of Momoo’s snores from under the hull.

Eventually, the swordsman would rise and start to train, but for now, the Going Merry was peacefully quiet...

A creak paused Sora’s hands mid-twist, ears twitching upright, and large twilight eyes turned to the opposite railing.

Water splashed, displaced by a moving body, and the goggled, strangely-armored men that swung onto the aft-deck were surprised to be faced with what looked like a young girl, feather-scaled wings flexed to half-mast and wearing a cute little blue sundress, a strange fluffy white kitten bristling next to her bare feet.

“Hey, who’s the kid?” One of the interlopers whispered, shuffling uncertainly as similar murmurs rose from the group.

“There’s Roronoa!” Another hissed, brandishing a sword.

“Are we bounty hunters or aren’t we?”

“Yeah, just tie her up. No harm done.”

Sora frowned mightily at these interlopers, hands on her hips, and Zoro slit an eye open.

“No.”

The men blinked, nonplussed.

“...No?”

“No.” Sora reiterated, Kilala hissing in agreement. “So leave.”

Zoro bit back a laugh at their slack-jawed expressions, at least until the foremost one drew a sword.

“Get ‘em!”

That same man squeaked when Sora suddenly appeared right in his guard, one clawed hand already swinging, and jaws dropped like anchors when he was sent flying out to sea.

Spinning on her heel, the young dragon brought both arms back, silver flashing in twilight eyes.

“Sky Dragon’s Wave Wind!”

With startled cries, every last one was swept up in a sudden tornado and spat towards the horizon, the Going Merry’s flag rustling for a moment before resettling in the residual wind.

Shaking out her fur, Kilala rubbed against the girl’s ankle with a purr, and she blinked the slit-pupil dragon away in an instant, turning with a smile.

“Papa! Papa, did you see?”

Catching the happy little girl that leaped back across the deck, Zoro snickered at the memory of their surprised faces and ruffled her pigtails.

“Yeah, I saw, kid. Good job.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hikari took over once their little group entered the exchange, which Nami very much appreciated.

Unlike their captain, the Celestial Dragon knew how to be discreet, and was able to get them a private audience with the executive in charge of this particular exchange rather quickly.

Said executive was almost in tears as he evaluated the piles of gold and jewels overtaking his table and a good portion of the room, and only Hikari’s whispered threat of no touching for a month was keeping Luffy from fidgeting right off the couch, Gina sitting on the raised back and distracting him with a little clockwork bird that hopped around with metallic chirps.

Nami was watching the older man inspect a crown with his little magnifying glass, finger tapping methodically on the couch-arm, while Usopp showered the Iron Dragon with praise, studying her new creation as she showed Luffy the simple process of creating another mechanical bird.

“I’ve been an appraiser for twenty-five years, and I’ve never seen gold of this quality in such abundance…” The man said after a good thirty minutes, clearly excited. “This is roughly estimated at one billion beli!”

Slapping a hand over Luffy’s mouth before he could screech in astonishment, Usopp’s jaw hitting the ground, Hikari quirked a brow.

“This is wonderful gold, taking its historical value and purity into account.” He continued, shuffling about in a briefcase for paperwork. “If you accept that amount, please sign and put your thumbprint here-”

His voice choked off at the cool, reptilian stare Hikari suddenly leveled his way, Luffy muffling a question against her palm.

“Gina?”

“That’s about eight hundred kilos of metal there.” The Iron Dragon stated after scenting the air, head tilting predatorily. “Not including gemstones. Given the current rate gold’s been going for...That’s a lowball number.”

He went very pale as Nami sat forward, a demonic light in her eyes.

“Before you revise your answer, you should know a couple of things. One…”

Luffy squeaked when his rubbery cheek was pulled.

“This guy is worth a hundred-million beli. Two…”

Hikari waved cheekily when the navigator gestured towards her.

“ _She_ is worth sixty-million. And third…”

The man whited out in full at the key-ring that was pulled out, six golden keys shining pointedly.

“She’s also a key-holder. Now, do you want to tell us the truth?”

Within an hour, the five Straw Hats were walking out with four metal briefcases and Nami practically floating, beli pouring from her eyes.

“Four billion beli...I can’t believe it…”

“Virgo.” Hikari smiled when the maid-Spirit appeared, handing over half of their newly-gained beli for safe-keeping.

“Keep these for us? Luffy, that one, too.”

“Why?” The Paramecia wondered, though he relinquished the briefcase without a fuss.

“We can’t just walk around with four billion beli!” Usopp hissed, hugging the last to his chest. “That’s just asking to get mugged!”

“I wanna see someone try.” Gina voiced, eyes sparkling with glee at the thought, and their sniper squawked in protest.

“Hime, should I store these on the Merry or in your vault?” Virgo wondered, and the pinkette hummed for a moment in thought.

“Nami?”

“I trust Zoro with my life, but not my money!”

“The vault’s fine, Virgo.” Hikari deadpanned, patting a ruffled Nami’s shoulder.

“Of course, hime.”

With a neat bow, the maid-Spirit faded back through her Gate, and Hikari sighed as a familiar rubbery weight slingshot onto her back.

“Alright, let’s go!” Luffy declared, pointing ahead dramatically. “To the cool shipwrights!”

“Aye aye, captain.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dock One was far less busy by the time they returned, the crowd having dispersed from the closed doors to leave the workers to their jobs.

“Let’s find-”

Luffy paused, pouting in thought.

“Well...What’s his name again?”

“Iceberg-san.” Nami supplied on a sigh, and the Paramecia grinned.

“Right, that’s it! Ice-pops! I wonder who he is…”

“Is it okay to go in there?” Usopp wondered, eyeing the massive metal door, and Hikari grabbed her boyfriend by the shoulder when his head and arm stretched to the fence.

“I’m coming in!”

“No you’re not!”

With a rubbery snap, he was yanked back and whiplashed against the sidewalk, whining at the unfairness while she headed for the door.

“Kaya was the exception, not the rule.” The key-holder scolded, rapping her knuckles on the thick metal.

“But _Kari_ …”

Usopp squeaked when someone literally _flipped_ over the massive slab of metal and landed among them, smiling from beneath a long, squared nose.

“Hello, there. Do you have some business at this dock?”

Hikari’s eyes flickered gold, taking the newcomer in quick as a flash of lightning across a clear sky.

Tall, lanky, wearing a high-collared jacket and a toolbelt of chisels hanging off one hip, a baseball cap further hiding an easy smile and dark eyes, he was outwardly a friendly individual, though his sudden appearance had twinged across Gina’s nerves.

“Yes!” Nami answered quickly, catching herself before Luffy could open his mouth to say anything. “We’re here to see Iceberg-san.”

“Iceberg-san?” The shipwright echoed, hands on hips. “Are you a customer?”

“Hopefully.” Hikari confirmed, the tension having melted from her shoulders as she handed over the letter.

“Oh, I see. This is a reference letter from Granny Kokoro at Shift Station, huh?”

“Is he in his office, by any chance?” The pinkette wondered, and he shrugged.

“He can be very hard to find, since he’s a very busy person.”

“So we just have to wait for him to get back?” Usopp despaired, Gina frowning even as she reached out to catch him before the sniper sank fully into a weepy puddle.

“That’s probably possible, but...Are you in a hurry?”

“The Merry’s in bad shape.” Luffy voiced, good cheer dampened by an almost solemn tone. “We want her to get fixed as soon as we can.”

“Ah, I see.” The shipwright hummed, unhooking his toolbelt and leaning low into a stretch. “Where did you anchor your ship?”

“The rocky cape.” Usopp supplied, caught off-guard by his actions.

“Well then, I’ll go run and check the condition of your ship. It’ll save some time when you see Iceberg-san. You can talk about the repair fee, too. Just wait for ten minutes.”

And he took off, about as fast as Sora was without the propulsion of her wings and certainly faster than most humans, leaping off buildings and rooftops before-

“HE FELL!” Usopp wailed when the man flipped over the gateway that had brought them up here, Gina choking on a gasp.

“Holy shit!”

“He runs freely in town.”

Luffy paused, head ticking just so, at the sudden roll of tightness through Hikari’s body before it forcibly dissipated and she turned to meet the deep voice.

The man was older, with neatly-cropped blue hair and dark eyes that caught on her face for a second longer before purposely breaking away, wearing an orange pinstripe suit and one finger gently petting the head of a little white mouse peeking out of his breast pocket.

“People call him the Mountain Wind. He’s a shipwright foreman of Galley-La Company’s Dock One, Kaku.”

Her eyes flicked to the secretary just a step behind and to the right of him, a pretty woman with long strawberry-blonde hair and cool blue eyes hidden behind a pair of discreet glasses wearing a professional blouse and blazer with a short skirt, glittering gold before cooling to deep black as she offered the man a smile.

"Iceberg-san, I presume?"

He blinked slowly before nodding, turning to his secretary.

"Yes. By the way, Kalifa…”

“Yes, I’ve already checked.” She replied promptly, adjusting the papers on her clipboard. “Straw Hat Luffy, Pirate Hunter Zoro, Dragon Princess Hikari, Nico Robin…”

Hikari rocked back on her heels at the slightest tightening around Iceberg's eyes, head tilting just so at his split-second glance.

“Their group has those four members with bounties on their heads. Their total bounty is two-hundred-ninety-nine-million beli. It was formed in the East Blue. They’re the Straw Hats, and they currently have ten crewmembers, not including two animals that seem to have eaten Zoan-type Devil’s Fruits.”

"Jeez, we haven't even been here a day…" Usopp muttered, clearly unsettled, and Nami peeked out around Hikari warily as Luffy giggled.

"We're famous!"

"That's a weird synonym for disaster-magnets…"

"I see…" Iceberg acknowledged, facing them fully with an air of easy nonchalance. “I’m glad you came. I’m Iceberg, the boss of this city, and this is a mouse I found earlier. His name is...let’s see...Tyrannosaurus. I have to prepare his food and cage.”

“I’ve already taken care of them, Iceberg-san.”

“Well, that’s my Kalifa.”

“Thank you. More importantly, you’re dining with an executive from a glassware factory at the hotel in Chiza in ten minutes. After that, you’ll give a talk at the Liguria Square. When that’s done, a conference with Mister Bimine, the mayor of the gourmet town Pucci. You’ll also be interviewed by a newspaper company there. After that, please go back to the main office and go through some documents.”

Luffy’s chin dropped on Hikari’s head, eyes almost spinning with how busy that sounded, and Iceberg made a face.

“I don’t want to!”

“Well then, I’ll cancel them all.”

“Hey, is that okay?!” Usopp blurted, looking between all of them in disbelief.

“I’m someone powerful enough to do things like that.” Iceberg waved off, and the sniper scowled.

“You’re completely unfit to be a mayor.”

“What a selfish guy you are!”

THUMP!

BAM!

“I can’t take you people anywhere.” The pinkette growled, Gina lifting a concussed Usopp back onto unsteady feet as Luffy pouted.

“Sorry, Kari…”

“Ah, Iceberg-san, please look at this.” Nami piped up, handing over their letter again.

“From Granny Kokoro…” The man muttered, taking in the kiss mark next to her signature. “Take a look at their ship, huh?”

Usopp almost smacked the Iron Dragon with his flailing briefcase when that letter was methodically ripped up.

“What?! You won’t?!”

“The Merry is beat up after our voyages!” Luffy pleaded, leaning back to gesture emphatically. “Please, pops!”

“Okay.”

“Then why did you rip it up?” The sniper demanded, clutching at his overworked heart, and Iceberg scowled.

“Her lipstick mark was unpleasant. Granny Kokoro and I have been drinking pals for ages. That being said, Kaku has already gone to make an assessment. The matter is already in progress. Don’t worry.”

Stretching with a yawn, he knuckled away some sleepiness and stuck a pinky up his nose.

“It’s a boring day today anyway. Shall I show you around the factory?”

“Whoa! Seriously?!” Luffy cheered, perking right up, and Kalifa gestured towards the door.

“Well then, this way, please.”

“Is that the attitude a man who canceled his appointments should have?” Usopp disapproved, and Hikari pat his shoulder as she passed with their captain bouncing on her shoulders.

“Alright! We’re gonna go to the shipbuilding plant!”

“Isn’t there that book that says ‘the meek will inherit the earth’?” Gina voiced, slinging an arm around the sniper’s shoulders as they followed. “You just gotta wait for people like them to accidentally walk off a cliff first.”

“Luffy would just bounce…”

“...I don’t want to ask how you know that.”

“It was a long time ago.” Nami assured, unable to help a smile. “And he didn’t bounce. He was just hypnotized to sleep and fell on his head.”

“...You see, there’s a reason I didn’t ask.” Gina drawled, straightening abruptly just before a pair of men rounded the corner in answer to Iceberg’s call.

Her gaze paused only briefly on the somewhat-shorter blonde- _smoking rather aggressively on a cigar and wearing a thick denim jacket in this summery heat, lots of respect_ -before latching onto the dark-haired man a step behind him, claws sharpening imperceptibly.

On first glance, there was nothing particularly intimidating or threatening about him in comparison; while a good bit taller and definitely muscled, he was slimmer, calm, with a strange, neatly-trimmed goatee, a top hat, and a white pigeon perched on one shoulder...

Unlike Kaku or his companion, who had just pinged off her senses like a warning, every nerve was setting off full-on klaxons, practically screeching to _get the fuck away_ -

But Gina took in a deep breath, aware of the way Hikari’s fingers flexed before going lax, and followed her lead.

“These are two other foremen for Dock One.” Iceberg introduced, gesturing to each airily. “Paulie, and Rob Lucci. They’ll open the door for us.”

“Of course, Iceberg-san.” Paulie agreed, turning to take in their newest customers- “Wait a sec! What’s with you women?!”

Nami jolted in surprise at his sudden upset, and Hikari quirked a brow.

“Huh?”

“You’re shameless! You’re showing your legs too much! And you!”

Luffy frowned, neck stretching to take in the silver top that Paulie was pointing at, which was basically a strip of cloth that wrapped once around Hikari’s back and crossed in the front, each side cupping a breast and tying off behind her neck.

“This is a workplace for men! Look how you’re dressed!”

“This is sounding like a personal problem.” The pinkette drawled, and her boyfriend blew a raspberry, arms wrapping twice more around.

“Yeah! Only Zoro gets to complain about Kari showing her boobs!”

SMACK!

“ _No one_ should be concerned about my boobs.” She asserted, hands on hips as Luffy burrowed into her cleavage with a pout. “So if you have a problem, just don’t look.”

Gina snickered at how the poor foreman sputtered, going bright red before Lucci shook the indignity out of him.

“That’s a really big door…” Usopp pointed out in the hopes of further defusing things, looking up and up and _up_ at the thick metal barrier as Paulie and Lucci placed a hand on each side. “And they’re going to open it manually?!”

His jaw dropped along with Nami’s when they began to do just that, and Luffy had stars in his eyes, arms wrapping tighter around Hikari’s torso.

“Wow…”

“This Dock One comprises the main force of the Galley-La Company, and it undertakes the most difficult work.” Iceberg explained as they stepped through, Gina pulling their dumbstruck sharpshooter and navigator along as Luffy almost squealed at the impressive sight.

“A shipyard has a tremendous impact when seen up close!”

“They’re building a huge galleon!” Usopp realized, amazed at the frame that already towered so high above them.

“Now, this way.” Iceberg called, leading the way between piles of lumber and busy machinery and bustling craftsmen.

People called out greetings as they passed, and the mayor paused to converse quickly with anyone who had questions or something to show, leaving behind smiles in his wake.

“Ice-pops is pretty popular.” Luffy noted, chin propped on messy curls and feet swinging by her hips.

“Of course he is.” Kalifa replied, adjusting her glasses primly. “In this city, skills are all that matters. On this island, ship-building was well-developed from the start, and seven shipbuilding companies were competing with each other. Meanwhile, he attracted craftsmen with his genius shipbuilding skills. Then he put those seven companies together to form a single company five years ago, and that’s this Galley-La Company. His passion and skills in shipbuilding have never changed, and the craftsmen won’t forget their respect towards him, and because the craftsmen are proud of their skills, they never give in to pirates or authority. This is that kind of place.”

“Is it alright if we take a look around until Kaku-san gets back?” Hikari wondered, feeling the excitement buzzing off Luffy’s skin as his head whipped around every which way.

“Of course.” Iceberg responded, and the Paramecia whooped.

“Come on, Kari! This way!”

“Is that a cannon?” Usopp realized, veering off in the opposite direction with Gina on his heels.

“Damn, that thing could take out a Sea King…”

Nami heaved a sigh before deciding to follow their captain and key-holder instead, which caused the Iron Dragon to snicker.

Her dad was many things, and a handful only described a few of them.

“If we could get something like that on the Merry…” Usopp breathed, taking in the two-ton hunk of steel being lifted up into the unfinished galleon.

“Or that.” Gina noted, and the sharpshooter’s eyes lit up, grip tight on the briefcase in his hands.

“Whoa! A demi-culverin! How cool! It’s so long, and shining!”

“Good quality copper, there.” The dragon agreed, head cocking just so.

“That must be expensive! I wonder if they’d let me try firing it. Oh, wait, we’ve got four-billion beli. We should be able to buy one or more cannons like that!”

The sniper yelped when Gina’s arm shot out, a strangled URK causing him to whip around with wide eyes and see some sort of armored, goggled thug in her grasp.

“Maybe.” The Iron Dragon agreed, smirk full of fangs as a few other, similarly-dressed thugs paled. “But it got us some entertainment for free.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tying Luffy’s hands into knots before he could play with any more heavy equipment, Hikari paused with his thumbs in a sheet knot that Paulie was reluctantly impressed by when Kaku landed unexpectedly nearby.

“Ah, you’re the guy from earlier!” Nami realized, smiling. “So you checked our ship?”

“Yeah, I did.” Kaku replied, turning to his boss with a nod. “So you were here, Iceberg-san.”

“I know the situation.” The mayor acknowledged, mouth twitching into a frown. “How was it?”

“Well…”

There was a reluctance in his tone that dampened Nami’s good cheer, and Luffy frowned, fingers snapping out of the knots.

“How much are the repairs?” Hikari asked for them, the keys on her hip jangling anxiously. “Cost isn’t an issue.”

Meandering over to a pyramid of lumber, Kaku slumped down with a sigh, earlier smile gone.

“...You’ve been having some tremendous journeys, haven’t you?”

“Yeah!” Luffy answered, perking up at the reminder. “We flew in the sky, and fell as well! We climbed a mountain! We’ve been through quite a lot, so we’d like to have her fixed good!”

His silence caused the Paramecia to frown, unsettled.

“I’m not lying, you know.”

“I believe it.” Kaku assured solemnly. “Her scars from battle are too deep.”

An icy hand wrapped around Hikari’s heart as Nami shifted, unsure.

“Do you mean it’ll take quite a long time to fix her?”

“No.” He denied, shoulders straightening. “Frankly speaking, your ship can no longer be fixed, even with our skills.”

Luffy’s sandaled feet hit the ground hard in that silence, fingers curling into the pinkette’s hips as if to remind himself this was real, as Paulie dropped next to his fellow foremen with a grunt.

“Is her keel damaged or something?”

“Yeah, it’s taken a lot of damage.” Kaku explained, and Nami lurched into motion.

“But we’ve been traveling just fine up until today!”

“Let’s suppose that we did what could anyway.” The long-nosed foreman stated firmly. “The probability of her reaching the next island...is zero.”

Those words cracked right through the shell of Hikari’s heart, the image of a little girl in a raincoat smiling in a rainfall of rainbow-fragments flashing through her mind- _“I’m glad I got to see you, before I go.”_ -with the thought that she was hurt, dying, _how could they have let her_ -

“Aren’t you guys amazing shipwrights?!” Luffy burst, furious as if the sound of her heart breaking was audible to human ears. “If it’s about money-”

“It has nothing to do with money.” Kaku interrupted, with the air of a man who had given this sort of news too many times before. “No matter how much you pay, that ship can’t be restored to how she used to be. I’m rather impressed that you guys made it this far in the state she’s in.”

“Her keel…”

Nami had to bite her lip at the quiet agony in Hikari’s voice, like the words were ripping at every soft spot inside.

“It’s the spine of a ship. It’s...It’s what the ship is built on. If it’s damaged...There’s no replacing it. That’s the end.”

The foremen of Galley-La said nothing, seeing how those words weighed and allowing them a few moments to mourn-

“Hey!”

Luffy jolted, head turning to see Usopp skid around a corner with Gina following at a more sedate pace, clearly snickering at the sniper’s star-sparkled expression.

“You guys should have seen it! These guys snuck in and tried to steal our money, but Captain Usopp and his amazing assistant-”

A hand clamped on his shoulder, and Usopp glanced back to see the sudden wall that had slammed into place behind red eyes before reevaluating his crewmates with a frown.

“Hey...Did something happen?”

“Usopp…”

Nami felt the rest of her voice get caught on a sob, unable to admit out loud Merry’s fate, and Luffy glared at the dirt, knuckles going white with tension.

Straightening her shoulders, Hikari motioned for them to approach, and he plodded closer with a nervous glance towards the quiet Galley-La foremen.

“Kari, what’s going on?”

Gina felt the bottom of her stomach drop out at the sadness in those dark eyes, freezing a few feet away.

“Mom?”

“Kaku-san did his assessment of the Merry.” The pinkette stated, voice forcibly steady. “The keel is damaged. There’s nothing they can do for her.”

And suddenly, her battle-high was just _gone_.

All she could think of in that moment was the way Merry rocked at night, whispering lullabies with every creak and groan to drown out the sound of rustling sand, the laughter that bounced off Merry’s sails when Luffy started a game of tag, the scent of tangerines as she napped under the fruit-heavy branches with Chopper and Lassoo curled over her chest-

Merry was _home_ , the place where everything was comfortable and _safe_ , and she was just going to be gone?

“No…”

The crack of Usopp’s voice yanked Gina painfully back into the moment.

“No, that’s not right!” He shouted, storming over to pierce the shipwrights with his glare. “The Merry’s not beyond saving! She can still sail!”

“Her keel is cracked.” Paulie reminded him, puffing on his cigar.

“Then replace her keel!”

“Replacing her keel might as well mean building a new ship.” Kaku interjected, steadfast. “There’s no two keels that are the same, even if you use the same blueprints. It wouldn’t be the Going Merry anymore.”

Furious tears filled Usopp’s eyes, throwing the briefcase down in anguished fury.

“Then I’ll fix her! I’ve been doing it all this time, I’ll just-”

A hand wrapped around his wrist, and he jerked around to meet the heartbroken look in Hikari’s eyes, tears making rainbows in the dark.

“Usopp…”

“Kari, she can do it.” He insisted, grabbing onto her arms as if to a lifeline. “The Merry, she’s not done yet, she’s _not_.”

“No.” She agreed quietly, keys ringing mournfully. “But is it fair to sail Merry into the ocean and make her watch us go down with her?”

Usopp froze, like the words struck a chord deep inside, and Luffy hid in the shadows of his hat, lower lip trembling.

And he _shattered_ , rage suddenly drowned in a wave of grief, collapsing against her in tears and heart-wrenching sobs.

“I know, I know…” She whispered, holding him up and rocking gently side to side. “I know it hurts, just let it out…”

Usopp hiccuped when another body joined them, blinking blearily as Nami burrowed into the key-holder’s neck, shoulders trembling.

Then Luffy was there, wrapping around them again and again, tears smearing against Hikari’s cheek as his hat shielded them, before Gina was dragged in, suddenly feeling very small and scared and hurt in their arms.

If love could hold a ship together, Iceberg suspected that the Going Merry would never have had to worry.


	28. Water Seven Arc: Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> I meant for the next chapter to be longer, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it needed to end where it did just for drama's sake. The next one will be much more exciting, I think, as we hit the climax! Hopefully, this and a few new chapters in Moonbeams and Stardust are enough to tide you over until then.
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

“We need to talk about this.” 

Usopp hiccupped, accepting the tissue that Gina held out for him, and Hikari closed her eyes on a deep breath as Sora sniffled, peering out from the safety of Kilala’s fluffy fur. 

“Yeah.” Luffy agreed, plopping a hand on Chopper’s head when the little Zoan released a shuddery breath into Lassoo’s fur, the dog-gun whining in distress. 

“Merry needs to know we’re okay.” Sanji voiced, tapping the ash of his cigarette over the railing, and Nami nodded, lip still trembling. 

“If Merry has to see us go, it should be on an amazing ship.” 

A heartbroken cry came from beneath the hull, an inconsolable Momoo unwilling to breach, and Zoro frowned at the flex of Hikari’s shoulders. 

“What are you thinking?” 

Chewing on her lip, the pinkette looked up to meet her crew’s eyes. 

“...Do you know what separated Gold Roger’s ship from everyone else’s?” 

Luffy blinked, shrugging. 

“Being the Pirate King’s ship?” 

Gina snorted, and Kilala face-palmed with a growl. 

“Other than _that_ , you imbecile.” 

“The Oro Jackson, the only ship to ever reach Raftel, was made of a very special material.” Hikari explained, unable to help the smile pulling at her lips. “Wood of the Jewel Tree Adam, strong enough to withstand every hazard the Grand Line could ever conceive. It’s extremely rare, but if we’re going to make a ship that will reach Raftel...I think we’ll need to use that.” 

Her expression fell, palm pressing to the salt-roughened boards of Merry’s deck. 

“If I could…” 

Usopp knew exactly what she was thinking. 

_ If I could go back in time and make the Merry out of that wood, I wouldn’t hesitate _ . 

But as much as this hurt, there was no going back. 

“Then let’s get it.” 

Luffy met their sniper’s eyes then, and the nod that came steeled his expression. 

“We’re going to make our next ship out of that Adam Wood.” The Paramecia agreed, and the Straw Hats straightened, embers lighting in their eyes. “Where do we get some?” 

"Because of Gold Roger, using wood from the Jewel Tree Adam is illegal according to the World Government." Hikari warned, shrugging. "But it shows up on the black market every so often. I can make arrangements." 

"Okay." Luffy decided, looking at the catalogue sitting too-innocently on a nearby barrel. "Then...Then we'll figure out what kind of ship." 

"We should wait for Robin." Gina voiced, bloody eyes turning back towards the stone walls of Water Seven. "She doesn't even know yet." 

The cigarette in Sanji's teeth crumpled, Chopper rubbing away tears, but Zoro saw the quick flash of sharp concern in Hikari's eyes before she tucked it away. 

"...I'm sure she'll be back soon, just like on Jaya. You all look through the catalogue, I'll see about getting that wood." 

“I’ll come with you.” Nami voiced, and Sanji was suddenly on his feet. 

“Me, as well!” 

The key-holder waved them off, smile too easy to be real. 

“Don’t worry, I can take care of this by myself.” 

Luffy frowned, gaze flicking to meet Zoro’s, and the swordsman tipped his head, grip flexing around Wado’s hilt. 

“Alright.” He decided, and Nami frowned, Sanji deflating with a grumble but accepting this verdict regardless. “But be back soon, okay?” 

Leaning down to press a kiss to Sora’s head and a squeeze to Gina’s shoulder, Hikari nodded, swinging over the railing and heading off across the rocky strip of land with purpose in her stride. 

Zoro watched her go, everyone’s low commentary over the catalogue muted in his ears as if the rumbles of a storm on the horizon were echoing across the water.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hime?” 

“Happy...I need you to do something for me.” 

“What? Is someone hurt?!” 

“If this works, they won’t be.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When a knock sounded on the door of Franky House, everyone inside froze. 

Mozu and Kiwi shared a glance, bags of ice in hand, before turning to Franky, who was holding the chair on his dais overhead in preparation to throw. 

Murmurs rose from the men, unease spreading at their rather battered states and their leader’s interrupted tantrum, some still bandaging scrapes and others sore from being thrown around like ragdolls. 

After a beat of silence, Franky calmly replaced his chair and dropped heavily into the upholstery. 

“Mozu?” 

“Right, aniki!” She responded immediately, handing the ice to her sister and rushing to the door, unable to deny her curiosity. 

_ Who would dare meet with the boss of Water Seven’s underworld? _

“Thank you.” 

Mozu blinked, caught off-guard by the pink-haired girl that walked past with a confident stride, a sharp smile on her face. 

“I’ve been meaning to come by, and kicking down the door would make a mess.” 

A cold sweat broke out among the ranks of the Franky Family, recognizing the gold sparkle in her eyes on an instinctive level after their disastrous defeats that morning. 

“You’re Franky, I presume?” 

Their blue-haired boss perked up at this, snapping his fingers, and everyone immediately lurched into action, drums starting an upbeat rhythm as a sheer curtain was thrown over the dais. 

“Hey, you guys! Did you call my name?!” 

A brow quirked as three silhouettes appeared thanks to a backlight. 

“Ow, ow~ ** Don’t be shy, listen everyone! Say my name! ** ” 

Franky, Mozu and Kiwi struck a pose as they tossed the fabric aside. 

“ ** I’m this island’s most super man! The Water Seven’s underground face! Yes, they call me, yow! ** ” 

Forearms came together, completing the blue star there. 

“FRANKY!” 

A smoke bomb went off amid cheers as the music cut off, petering away at the deadpan expression being levelled on all of them. 

“...Right.” She drawled. 

“And who are you?” Franky demanded, having face-planted on his metal nose, and the pinkette’s mouth slid into a smirk. 

“Oh, my apologies. I’m Dragneel Hikari, but you might know me better by my epithet of Dragon Princess.” 

There was suddenly a wide berth around her, cold sweat raining down on the floor, and Franky straightened at the amused ring of keys at her hip. 

“As co-first mate and strategist of the Straw Hat Pirates, I’m here with a business proposal that would be beneficial for both of us.” Hikari continued, completely at ease but with a smile that made Zambai think of a cat with a mouse caught under their paw. “Are you interested?” 

Franky said nothing for a long moment, hands on hips, before pulling a lever to his right. 

The dais sunk out of view with a whirr of gears, and Hikari cocked her head, impressed, when it came back up with two comfy-looking couches in an electric shade of blue and a highlighter yellow. 

“That depends on what you want.” Franky decided, plopping down on blue leather and gesturing to the other seat across from him. 

Mounting the steps, Hikari was easily dwarfed by the large mob boss and his oversized furniture, but nothing shook the confidence from her stance as she settled primly. 

“Cola?” 

“Please.” 

Accepting the bottle that a nervous Kiwi offered, the pinkette watched as Franky chugged the entire two liters in one go with a single belched “Super!” before placing the empty glass on a coffee table between them like a challenge. 

Jaws dropped when she downed the contents of her own cola in one, two, three pulls and placed it down, still smiling when ten seconds passed, twenty...

Franky quirked a brow when not so much as a hiccup popped free, shoulders slouching back into the couch-back. 

“Alright, that’s pretty good.” 

“I’m here because I heard that you’re the man to ask about retrieving certain items in the black market.” Hikari explained, reminding Mozu of a dragon laying upon their hoard. “As your men might have heard at Galley-La, we are currently in need of a new ship, and we want a very particular material to build it.” 

“Jewel Tree Adam Wood.” Franky surmised, serious, and she gestured an affirmative. 

“Yes. Of course, we’re willing to give you the cost for the materials and pay for your time.” 

“That wood isn’t cheap.” He warned, forearms resting heavily on bent knees as he studied her. 

“Price isn’t an issue.” 

“...There’s a shipment up for sale. Two hundred million beli.” 

Hikari did not bat an eye. 

“A fair price. We’re not thinking to build a galleon, after all.” 

After a few moments, the large man nodded and started to grin. 

“Alright, then. Add on three hundred million to get the goods, and you have a deal.” 

Her mouth twitched sardonically, and now Hikari was leaning forward, a predatory tilt to her shoulders that made Zambai suddenly  _ extremely _ jittery. 

“How about a hundred million, and I don’t bring down hell on you and yours for threatening my kids?” 

Franky snorted, but his shoulders rolled back as if preparing for a fight. 

“Yeah? What’re you gonna do all by yourself?” 

Mozu and Kiwi squeaked in alarm at the ethereal glow of a Gate, and Virgo cocked her head, chains rattling. 

“I believe you’ll find that Hikari-hime is never alone.” 

All eyes fell to the ring of keys at her hip, stomachs dropping at the sight of  _ six _ golden keys mixed in with more silver than they had ever seen in one place before. 

“So, do we have a deal?” The key-holder wondered, and Franky deflated on a chuckle, large hand swallowing hers in a shake. 

“You drive a hard bargain, sis. Deal.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sad notes floated across the Merry’s deck, Zoro slitting an eye open when Sora and Chopper stirred on his lap, a comforting rumble coming from Kilala’s thick fur as Lassoo carefully licked away their tears. 

“ ** They’ve made me feel like a prisoner...They’ve made me feel set free… ** ” 

Sniffling, Usopp paused in his tinkering, back pressing tight against the salt-worn wood of Merry’s figurehead. 

“ ** They’ve made me feel like a criminal...Made me feel like a king… ** ” 

From behind him, Luffy’s gaze drifted from the horizon to where Gina sat in the crow’s nest, curled around her guitar and almost invisible from below. 

“ ** They’ve lifted my heart, to places I’d never been...And they’ve dragged me down, back to where I began… ** ” 

Standing in the galley, Sanji watched the smoke from his cigarette rise and dissipate against the ceiling, a gentle breeze wafting through the open door. 

“ ** Words can build you up, words can break you down, start a fire in your heart or, put it out… ** ” 

In the shade of her tangerine trees, Nami blinked through a sheen of tears, fingers curling into the cool soil. 

“ ** Let my words be life, let my words be truth, I don’t wanna say a word, unless it points the world back to you… ** ” 

There was a crack, a split in the steady rise of her voice before the fall, and Luffy’s palms pressed tight to the figurehead below him. 

“ ** You can heal the heartache...Speak over the fear...Your voice is the only thing, we need to hear… ** ” 

Chopper lifted his head, rubbing at damp fur, and Zoro pat his head gently as Sora reached out to hug him tight. 

“ ** Let the words I say, be the sound of your grace...I don’t wanna say a word, unless it points the world back to you...I wanna speak your love, not just another noise...Oh, I wanna be your light, I wanna be your voice… ** ” 

Sitting above the sail, hidden from view behind the mast, a little figure looked up at the sky from under the hood of a raincoat, tears glittering down rounded cheeks to frame a smile. 

“ ** I don’t wanna say a word, unless it points the world back to you… ** ”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hime, are you sure this is wise?” 

“Happy can do it. I trust him.” 

“You know that’s not what I meant.” 

“...” 

“If they decide to act, this would put you at a severe disadvantage.” 

“I know.” 

“We understand why you want to do this, but we’re worried. Why would you risk it?” 

“...How am I any different from him if I don’t do everything I can to save her?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oi, shameless woman!” 

Throwing back another shot of whiskey, Hikari turned her head to see Paulie had come through the swinging door of Blueno’s bar, cigar releasing a fresh puff of smoke. 

“What’re you doing here?” 

“Drinking.” She answered blandly, pouring herself another shot. “Whiskey?” 

Paulie eyed her for a moment before pulling up a stool and accepting the empty glass next to hers, filling it halfway. 

“Figured you’d be with your crew.” 

“Everyone mourns differently.” She noted, checking how much was left in the bottle, and Paulie scoffed. 

“You say that like you’ve done any mourning.” 

Hikari paused, liquid sloshing halfway to her mouth, before downing the shot. 

“Everyone else on your crew cried, but not you.” The foremen continued, emptying his glass. “And don’t tell me you didn’t want to. Anyone with eyes can see you love that ship as much as any of them.” 

“...I don’t need to cry.” The pinkette replied, sliding the bottle over to him. “And they need me.” 

“What use are you gonna be, getting eaten alive like that?” Paulie grumbled, sighing at the burn of whiskey down his throat before refilling his glass and then hers. 

A humorless little laugh tumbled out of her then, far too jaded in Paulie’s eyes for someone so young, and there were scars hidden in those dark eyes that suddenly became clear in the slight waver of her smile. 

“You say that like I wasn’t always like this.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arm flung over her eyes, Gina sighed when a slight weight plopped onto her chest, little hooves curling into the fabric there as furry bodies curled close. 

“Robin isn’t back yet…” 

A heavy sigh blew out, and she peered underneath to see Chopper’s worried face as Lassoo grumbled, tail smacking against the deck in agitation. 

The sun was just a sliver peeking over the horizon, the sky already mostly a deep purple with a handful of scattered stars beginning to shine, dinner having been a muted affair just like the lunch before it. 

“Go look?” Sora wondered as she plopped next to them, Kilala’s twin tails wrapping around the older dragon’s wrist as the cloud-cat mewed. 

“Mom said to wait.” Gina reminded them, frowning when she spotted Usopp in the crow’s nest above, still sniffling and tinkering with something in the muted light of a lantern. 

“Yeah, but…” Chopper murmured, gaze drifting to where Luffy had retaken his perch on Merry’s figurehead overlooking the water. 

“The man…” Sora murmured, ears twitching uncertainly. “Felt danger. Felt  _ dark _ . Would hurt?” 

The Iron Dragon was quiet for a long moment, watching day fade into night, remembering the strange square-nosed shipwright and the hyper-competent secretary and the serious man with predator eyes. 

“...Maybe.” 

The Merry’s sail ruffled overhead, catching the sound of cookware clattering as Sanji cleaned, and Gina’s eyes glittered like rubies. 

“And if they do, we’ll make them regret it.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Office dark except for the glow of a lantern on his desk, Iceberg paused in gently tapping a stack of papers into alignment, lips twitching upwards. 

“It’s been a long time.” 

Sitting on the sill, night air breezing through the open window at her back, a smile flickered across Hikari’s face in the moonlight. 

“Not much has changed here in five years.” 

“No, but you’ve grown.” Iceberg noted, turning his chair halfway around. “Last time I saw you…” 

“I wasn’t a pirate?” She teased, and the man chuckled, shrugging. 

“You’re happier now, bounty on your head and all.” 

“Would be happier if they didn’t put ‘princess’ in my epithet.” The pinkette grumbled, kicking at the floor. “It’s bad enough all my Spirits call me that still…” 

“Some things never change.” Iceberg agreed, good cheer growing muted. “...They don’t know, do they?” 

The mischievous glint in her eyes suddenly snuffed out, gaze drifting to the floor as a heavy silence fell. 

“...No. They don’t.” 

“If you didn’t want to be found out, you should have stayed on your ship.” He warned, concerned. “With all the government officials that come through Water Seven…” 

“You’ve met my captain.” She joked, a little spark coming to life as she straightened. “And...Well, that’s part of the reason I came here.” 

Iceberg frowned, turning over those words as Hikari took a moment to order her thoughts. 

“...I know you’ve suspected this for years, so I’ll just confirm it. The World Government knows that you have knowledge of the blueprints for Pluton...And they’ve sent more than just Corgi to get them from you.” 

Iceberg went still, pupils dilating at the solemn expression on her face, before managing to find his voice. 

“Who?” Before she could even take in a breath, the pinkette went predatory-quiet, head cocking just so as her gaze turned to the far wall. 

“...Is there supposed to be anyone else in this building?” 

The man blinked, thrown off by the question. 

“Everyone should have gone home by now, except a night watchmen at the doors. I sent Kalifa home an hour ago.” 

Eyes flickering gold, Hikari rose suddenly, closing the window quickly and quietly before crossing to his desk at a hurried pace. 

“Act natural.” 

Iceberg rolled his chair back in surprise when she ducked into the covered space beneath, almost jumping when he was yanked back before taking a breath, shoulders easing-

Only for a section of wall to swing open like a door, and he took in the large, masked, robe-wearing man that stepped through, a familiar black-haired woman in a dark dress following quietly behind him. 

“Nico Robin.” Iceberg greeted tightly, meeting cool blue eyes as a hand squeezed his knee. “How did you get in here?” 

The gleam of lamplight off metal pulled his attention around immediately to find a pistol in the masked man’s hand, mind racing. 

“You should have just given us the blueprints.” 

In that moment, he saw the man’s finger tense on the trigger in slow motion, pulling back-

Celestial light flooded his dim office moments before the CRACK of gunfire and a sharp ricochet as a heavy body swung out from underneath the desk, metal tail gleaming. 

“Sand Buster!” 

With a grunt, the man was sent flying back through at least three walls, and Iceberg managed to take in a shaky breath as Hikari launched out of hiding, wide gold eyes meeting blue. 

“Robin?” 

To the mayor’s surprise, Robin’s expression cracked, revealing such a deep, heartrending fear that he could hardly draw a breath before she tried to run. 

But Hikari was faster, a crackle of electricity and she was blocking the way, looking so young and confused and heartbroken that Iceberg thought for a moment he had been sent back in time. 

“Robin, you don’t have to do this! Whatever they said, it doesn’t matter!” 

“You need to forget about me.” The woman argued, hardening her heart. “My wish...I can’t reach it with you.” 

For a long moment, they stared at each other, Robin’s gaze flicking as those gold eyes read right through to her soul. 

“Your wish...but not your dream.” The key-holder realized, stepping closer. “Robin, no matter what, we’re here for you. Don’t shut us out.” 

“...As strong as you are, you can’t survive the nightmare they would unleash.” Robin whispered, voice heavy with tears. “Just like Ohara.” 

That punched the air right out of Hikari’s lungs. 

“They…?” 

In that split second, she took the opening and ran, words cracking apart between them. 

“Don’t follow me.” 

Jolting into action, Hikari turned just in time to see them disappear through a glowing green doorway, and Iceberg took in a deep inhale at the following silence as Scorpio straightened. 

“What’s going on?” 

Knuckles going white, the pinkette slowly turned her head, fire lighting her red-slit pupils. 

“CP9 has decided to make their move.”


	29. Water Seven Arc: Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Okay, my plan really was to do just one last chapter for Water Seven, but it was getting so long I decided to split it. That way, you can get an earlier update, too! Hopefully, you like it!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

Chaos soon descended upon the main offices of Galley-La once the nearest guard arrived from hearing a gunshot, and within half an hour, the building was swarming with frantic, furious shipwrights trying to figure out how someone had gotten close enough to even _attempt_ an assassination on their boss.

This quickly brought the foremen of Dock One running not long after, thoroughly disheveled, and Iceberg looked over his workers quietly, more exhausted than he could remember being for roughly a decade.

"What happened?!" Paulie demanded, struggling to keep his voice down even as Tilestone bawled in rage.

"Calm down." Iceberg soothed, willing away the tension headache growing behind his eyes. "I'm not sure what exactly is going on, either. I just happened to be having a private meeting in my office when two intruders managed to get in. Luckily, my friend managed to fend them off, but I can't be sure who they are or what they wanted."

"It could have been pirates we drove off." Lulu reasoned, arms folded and frowning behind dark shades.

"We'll crush them!" Tilestone roared, riled up as a bull, and Hattori raised his wings placatingly from Lucci's shoulder.

"Calm down, you're being too loud. We won't even know who the culprits are until the investigation is done."

"Any of the pirates we've dealt with over the years could have come back and tried to get revenge." Kaku reasoned, tipping up his cap.

"I'll create a list of clients." Kalifa stated firmly, shuffling papers on her clipboard. "The investigators can narrow down those that are in the area."

"Is your friend alright?" Paulie wondered, shoulders loosening in relief. "We should be thanking them for saving your life."

Iceberg's gaze drifted to the hall window, unable to help a sigh.

"Rest assured, they're perfectly unharmed. I would be more worried for these assassins."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leg bouncing against Merry's railing, Luffy frowned out at the dark silhouette of Water Seven, highlighted by soft moonlight and random dots of light.

"Where are they?" He whined, and Zoro slit an eye open from where he was slouched at the other's back, thumb pausing in rhythmically tapping against Wado's hilt.

"Kari will be back."

"Yeah…" Luffy muttered, feeling like a whole swarm of fuzzy bees were buzzing in his bones.

"Oi."

The Paramecia yelped when he was suddenly pulled backwards, landing in Zoro's lap and nearly knocking his head against Sandai Kitetsu's sheath.

"Kari's smart." The swordsman reminded him, though the twist of his mouth was not completely soothed by this. "She won't let anything happen to Robin."

Arms wrapping tight around his boyfriend's shoulders, Luffy pouted into his neck, soothed by the steady _tha-thump_ of a heart beating in time with his.

"But she's taking so _long_ …"

Zoro could hardly refute that, petting a hand through salt-coarse hair and glancing over a shoulder towards the island.

It was nearing midnight, after all, and Hikari had gone to make whatever deal they needed in the early afternoon…

Movement caught his eye, and Zoro sat up as water rose against the hull, a low cry of greeting escaping Momoo.

"Kari?" Luffy squeaked, clambering up onto a protesting swordsman's shoulders with a grin. "Kari! You're back!"

One look at her face, icy with fury and tears making dark eyes shimmer in the dark, dimmed his joy almost immediately as Zoro stood, grip tight on his hip.

"Wake up the others. We have a problem."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even with Aqua Laguna looming ever-closer, the citizens of Water Seven were far more concerned with their mayor’s well-being than spending a night in shelters.

Word spread like wildfire as people packed up their valuables and filled seams, until everyone knew of the assassination attempt and were promising a very bloody death to the culprits.

The shipwrights of Galley-La had similar goals, encircling the main office building in a protective ring with every intention of standing there through every drop of rain and every gust of wind to keep anyone from so much as stepping onto the property.

Seated at the desk in his private room, Iceberg glanced out the window as glass rattled in its frame, Aqua Laguna closing in steadily.

A clock chimed, marking the two-hour point until the storm arrived at midnight, and the mayor gently set down the papers he was only half-reading as Kalifa paused in her neat note-taking.

“Sorry, but could you step outside for a while?”

“Okay.” She accepted easily, heels clicking on her way towards the door.

“Also…” Iceberg added, purposely looking out into the night. “Please send Paulie in here.”

“Yes, sir.”

The large doors closed with a CLICK, and he gently pet Tyrannosaurs’ head at their muffled voices, footsteps wandering away before Paulie entered.

“Iceberg-san?”

“Take a seat.” Iceberg invited, leaning back in his own chair to watch as his protege did as told, curious. “Paulie...Right underneath the desk in the president’s office, if you lift up the carpet, you’ll find a safe buried there. I’ll give you the combination, so listen carefully.”

Confused as he was, the blonde nodded, cigar shifted sideways determinedly as his mentor calmly gave directions on how to open this secret safe and what to do with the contents within.

“...Okay.” Paulie accepted, straightening. “Understood.”

“This could be very risky.” He warned, even knowing this was his own idea. “I thought about it hard, but you’re the only one I can ask this. Will you do it for me?”

“You’re acting like I’m a stranger.” The foreman replied, standing. “Please leave it to me.”

“...You have my gratitude.”

Watching Paulie step back outside, Iceberg’s gaze drifted back to the window, pensive.

 _And so it begins_.

An explosion split the calm night, stone flying and fire licking up towards the stars, and men rushed to grab their injured comrades while scrambling to put out the flames.

Iceberg felt the whole building quake as his employees ran up and down the halls, frantically organizing themselves, and Tilestone burst through the door with all his usual exuberance.

“Are you okay, Iceberg-san?!”

“Yeah.” He assured, a tense knot between his shoulders. “I was surprised.”

“I saw someone!” Someone shouted from the level below, and the large man whipped around immediately as Lulu rose quickly. “He’s wearing a costume! Catch him!”

“Here they come! Leave them to me!”

“I’ll nail them!”

“Hey! Wait!” Kaku protested as the pair rushed off, and the door closed fully before Iceberg could hear more.

The assassins were making their move, battles breaking out in every direction...

When the wall swung open, permitting entrance to Nico Robin and her strange companion, now wearing a large bear-head mask.

“I knew you’d come sooner or later, but I never thought you’d come through there. Did you do the same last night?”

“It’s the power of the Door-Door Fruit.” The large man explained, deep voice distorted as he approached the desk. “No matter how hard the wall is, the area I touch becomes a door. As long as there’s a wall, I can go in and out anywhere.”

A pistol was raised from the folds of his robes-

Only for a lash of star-studded water to wrap tightly around his neck, and Robin ducked sideways as the large man was yanked back and around into the opposite wall.

“See, I can do the same thing.” Hikari drawled, recalling her Fleuve D’Etoiles with a snap. “And I don’t need a Devil’s Fruit.”

“Where did you come from?” He demanded, lurching upright, and the pinkette quirked a brow as electricity crackled across her Asteria Bolts.

Then, suddenly, voices pierced through the entire building.

“GUM GUM PISTOL!!!”

“ONI GIRI!!!”

And the wall came down in a spray of drywall, wood and stone.

“Right on time.” Hikari noted as if checking a watch on her wrist, Robin backing up in surprise when two more robed, large-masked figures rose from the rubble. “They’re not subtle, but my boys get the job done.”

“You…” The skull-masked man grunted, shaking dust off his shoulder. “How did you…?”

“Know what you planned to do?” Hikari finished, mouth tilting into a smirk as a fuming Luffy stepped up to the damaged wall, snorting like a bull himself. “It wasn’t hard to figure out. Even if your frame-up failed, you’re on a deadline thanks to Aqua Laguna and needed to get the blueprints before your train leaves at eleven.”

Zoro joined their boyfriend, Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri glinting in the light, and Robin’s expression shuttered as the masked assassins regrouped.

“Isn’t that right, CP9?”

“...So, you know you’re attempting to interfere with the World Government.” The bull-masked man voiced, tension seeping into the air, and Hikari shrugged.

“Of course I do...Rob Lucci.”

Zoro’s smile was all teeth at how the skull-masked man jolted a touch in surprise.

“No need to be shy.” The pinkette hummed, every inch the cat that got the cream. “I already know who all of you are...Kaku. Blueno.”

A beat of silence, and the bull-head mask was lifted to indeed reveal Rob Lucci, dark eyes piercing and predatory.

“How did you know?”

“Call it woman’s intuition.” She brushed off as Kaku and Blueno followed suit, smirk going sharp at a CRACK of thunder outside. “Ah, looks like Nami and Sora found Kalifa.”

“If you know why we’re here, Dragneel Hikari, then you know this is where you will all die.” Lucci intoned ominously, and her smile fell away at the sudden tightness around Robin’s eyes.

“I know _exactly_ why you’re here.” Hikari replied, coldly restrained, and Luffy bounced on his heels with a growl. “It was a solid plan. After five years, you would know exactly how the shipwrights would set up their defenses and where to cause distractions to maximize confusion among their ranks, and that your status as foremen meant they would trust you to protect Iceberg-san. It would have worked...But you made one mistake.”

Robin’s heart squeezed, tears bubbling up, at the fierce golden glare that she leveled on these powerful men.

“ _You fucked with the Straw Hat Pirates_.”

“We don’t take kindly to being used as leverage against our own crewmates.” Zoro informed them, Wado flashing sharply between his teeth.

“So give Robin back!” Luffy ordered, all tightly-coiled fury. “Then I can kick your asses!”

“Nico Robin?” Blueno voiced, gaze slowly turning to the silent archaeologist, features shadowed by a heavy green hood.

“In order for my wish to happen...I don’t care what sacrifices need to be made.”

“Your wish is the same as ours.” Hikari replied sternly, in that way Robin recognized from whenever Usopp was stubbornly negative or Nami was despairing over their captain’s recklessness. “And none of us care about what dangers we may face or what enemies we might make. You’re our nakama.”

Her heart squeezed, wanting so badly to believe those words…

“Come on, Robin!” Luffy decided, stepping further into the room. “Let’s go!”

But Lucci blocked his path, revealing a black suit under his robes and replacing his top hat.

“Sorry, but I need you guys to stop now. We have to find an important person now, so we’re in a hurry. We no longer have business here.”

His gaze turned to Blueno.

“How much time is left?”

“Two minutes.” The large, horn-haired man replied simply, checking a pocket watch.

“I know this is sudden, but this building is to be set aflame in two minutes.” He informed the pirates, Zoro’s head tilting so light gleamed across Wado’s edge. “Fire is an effective tool for destroying various types of evidence. If you don’t wanna burn to death, you should leave the building immediately. Well, of course...That is, if you could.”

To the confusion of all three, the Monster Trio of the Straw Hat Pirates _smiled_.

“Now that you mention it…” Hikari mused, holding up what looked like small metal-and-plastic detonators in her hand. “I meant to say that won’t be a concern anymore.”

“Kari’s too smart for you!” Luffy snickered, winding up his arm.

“Now we have permission to beat you into the ground.” Zoro agreed, taking on a new stance.

“...Nico Robin. You’ve completed your job.”

Nodding, she turned to the nearest window and undid the latch, stepping up onto the sill.

“Robin!” All three protested, causing her to pause.

“...Goodbye. I’ll never see you guys again.”

And she fell into the night.

“ROBIN!”

Luffy lunged, both arms pulled back.

“GET OUT OF OUR WAY! GUM GUM BAZOOKA!”

The force was enough to make Lucci stumble back a step, Kaku whipping out a pair of sharpened chisels-

“Gazami Dori!”

Before having to guard against Zoro's katana, jaw clenching at the effort, and Blueno swung his fist around at Luffy's head.

Star-studded water wrapped around that wrist, snapping him around through an outer wall as Luffy launched into a second attack.

"GUM GUM GATLING!"

Thunder tore the air again, and Hikari heard a snarl as she jumped out after the beefy assassin, starlight streaming off her skin.

"Celestial Dragon's Claw!"

“Iron Body-”

Both her feet came down directly on Blueno’s chest, air rushing out of knocked lungs as he was propelled hard into the ground below, grass and dirt and stone exploding outward.

“How…?” He wheezed, stunned that the blow had actually _hurt_ , as Hikari landed in a crouch.

“The Six Powers make you stronger than a normal human, or even untrained Devil’s Fruit users…” She noted, eyes reptilian and predatory. “But I’m not human.”

For the first time he could remember, Blueno felt panic, like a mouse that had suddenly been caught in the sights of a cobra.

“Shave!”

A crackle of electricity, and he was knocked through a nearby tree, blood spraying from a broken nose and lost teeth.

“Cute.” Hikari purred, sparks throwing eerie shadows across her face. “After all that posturing trying to assassinate Iceberg-san and manipulate Robin, you can’t even take a punch…”

Stone split and glass shattered overhead, two separate fights breaking out in violent mayhem, and he knew they needed to retreat.

“Tempest Kick!” Blueno spat, swinging his legs level with her neck-

And suddenly she was in his guard, Asteria Bolts ablaze.

“Celestial Dragon’s Wing Attack!”

The perimeter wall crumbled, and Hikari straightened, head cocking towards a sudden twister and swirl of icy clouds that spun up from the opposite end of the rooftop.

Blueno squeaked when her Fleuve D'Etoiles wrapped around his neck, yanking the dazed assassin back.

“Celestial Dragon’s Iron Fist!”

There was no air left in his lungs to so much as gasp, certainly not before a second fist landed, then a third, a fourth-

“Celestial Dragon’s BARRAGE!”

Arms blurring like Luffy’s Gatling, she smashed Blueno back into the ground, each blow cratering him deeper and deeper.

For frightening Robin, for scaring Chopper, for threatening Iceberg, for Luffy and Zoro and-

Slowing to a stop, Hikari heaved for breath, reining in her pain and anger with all the effort one might put into leashing a storm.

“HEY!”

Her head snapped around, fangs bared in a snarl as a massive, leopard-spotted shadow blurred from the third floor-

A Roar forced the Zoan to Moonwalk sharply left, Shaving through the sudden coils of her Fleuve D'Etoiles to snatch up Blueno, retreating into the evacuated city at speed.

“GET BACK HERE!”

Luffy Rocketed out of the office overhead, hands curling tight around Hikari’s shoulders as she lunged after the CP9 agents, muscles burning with lightning.

“Zoro?” The key-holder growled into the earpiece Eisaku had given out to everyone, leaping over a Tempest Kick that split an entire office black diagonally in half.

“ _Damn square-nose got away._ ” The swordsman bit out, breath a touch heavy. “ _Nami and the kid are chasing the secretary_.”

With time running out, that meant the agents were trying to break free of them to find the true blueprints before the Puffing Tom was set to head out for Enies Lobby-

“Gum Gum Slingshot!”

“Celestial Dragon’s Sword Horn!”

Blueno jolted back to consciousness when Lucci barely managed to dodge, an entire row of buildings exploding outward in a spray of old stone.

“They’re heading for Franky House!” Hikari deduced, ricocheting off a wall after their prey. “Don’t let them out of your sight!”

“Leave it to me!” Luffy ordered, winding back his arms and snapping them forward-

Hikari cursed, grabbing his elbows and pulling back before Lucci could slice the rubber boy's hands open as the night opened in an eerie green glow-

" _Fuck_ -"

And Lucci disappeared through the Air Door with Blueno in tow.

"Motherfucking spotted _asshole_!" The dragon seethed, Luffy wrapping his legs tight around her waist as wings burst forth to take flight. "Lightning Celestial Dragon Mode!"

With a startled shout from her boyfriend, they shot across Water Seven like a bolt of lightning, cracking through the growing rumbles of Aqua Laguna in a bright flash.

Even at such a speed, it took minutes to cross the large shipbuilding island to the strange patchwork house sitting opposite where the Going Merry had been docked until just that morning, and Luffy frowned at the sight of a broken, blood-streaked front door.

"Kari."

Skidding to a stop, Hikari hissed as the electricity faded back into her skin, muscles tightening for a moment before she forcibly breathed the tension out, already crossing the threshold.

The main room was a disaster, walls cracked open and bodies scattered all over the floor, even a few smoldering fires dying out in some spots, and Luffy dropped to his own feet with a frown as she rushed to the nearest Franky Family member.

“Carla!”

The cat-girl Spirit appeared with a first aid kit in hand, already kneeling to start cleaning up the puncture on Zambai’s shoulder, while Hikari pat persistently at his cheek to rouse the man.

“Dragneel…?”

“Where’s Franky?” She demanded, holding him down when Carla started packing his shoulder with gauze. “Did they take him?”

“No…” Zambai rasped, the pain clearing his head. “Bro...He’s at the warehouse under the bridge...with Kiwi and Mozu…”

“Where is that?” The pinkette pressed, mind already racing as he gave directions, before pressing a hand to the earpiece. “Chopper, I need you and Lassoo at Franky House.”

“ _On our way, mom!_ ”

“What?” Zambai asked, struggling upright despite the cat-girl’s frown.

“If you want to help save him, you can’t be bleeding everywhere.” She replied, straightening while pressing on the earpiece again. “Iceberg-san, will it work?”

“ _With some time. Hopefully, it won’t come to that._ ”

 _I hope so, too_ , she admitted to herself, gaze lifting when Luffy’s hand stretched to weave their fingers together.

“Come on, Kari! We can still beat them up if we hurry, right?”

“...Yeah.” The key-holder agreed, wings flexing outward as she hurried back towards the door. “Nami?”

“ _Kalifa and Kaku got away._ ” Their navigator admitted, clearly frustrated. “ _Do you want us to join up with you?_ ”

“No.” She decided, pulling Luffy into the growing wind with a heavy downward swing. “Make sure Iceberg-san gets to the underground terminal with Kokoro-san. Chopper, once you patch up the Franky Family, take them there.”

“ _Got it!_ ”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Claws lazily gliding against each other, sharp and gleaming, Gina leaned out a bit from the little alcove they had found in Blue Station that overlooked the Puffing Tom, well out of sight from the scurrying marines below.

“They’re starting to board.”

Lighting a cigarette, Sanji blew the first lungful of smoke out into the strengthening gusts of Aqua Laguna as Usopp fidgeted with his Kabuto.

“But Robin and those CP9 guys haven’t gotten on, right?”

“They know we’re on to them.” Sanji replied, flicking his lighter open and closed. “They would want to leave the moment they arrive, to avoid our crew catching up.”

Usopp hissed, head whipping around as the crowd roiled, and Gina sat up sharply.

“There’s Robin!”

And indeed, there was Robin, mostly hidden be a heavy green cloak and hood that did nothing to stop the Iron Dragon’s sharp nose, being led directly into the waiting Puffing Tom by four rather battered, dark-clad CP9 agents at a clipped pace, a bagged Franky thrown over Blueno’s shoulder.

Swarms of dark-suited government officials and marines followed suit, and Sanji tapped his dragon-iron heel against roughened stone as he stood.

“Let’s go.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“When we catch up, the first thing I’m gonna do is _break open their kneecaps_.” Hikari hissed, stumbling down a step of this dusty stone staircase when her tingling legs faltered. “Fucking fast bastards, see how quick they can run with their femurs snapped like a twig-”

“Zoro!” Luffy shouted as they descended into harsh artificial light, grinning even while juggling Mozu and Kiwi on his back. “Kari’s super mad!”

“Really?” The swordsman deadpanned, rocking upright as the three remaining foremen of Galley-La eyed a visibly-steaming Hikari with justified wariness. “Couldn’t tell.”

“Mama!” Sora trilled, launching herself into the key-holder’s arms with a startled cloud-cat-Kilala in tow. “Mama, friends!”

“The Franky Family are getting ready to come with Momoo.” Chopper explained, rubbing Lassoo’s ears as Kokoro chuckled around another swig of alcohol. “And Gina said they got onto the Puffing Tom without being seen.”

“Good.” Hikari sighed, tension leaking away when Zoro leaned down to pop a kiss on her forehead. “Good…”

“COOL!” Luffy cheered, dropping a startled Kiwi and Mozu on a nearby crate before bouncing over to the steel behemoth that sat patiently in the shallow canal. “So awesome! We get to ride it, Ice-pops?!”

“Now that it’s serviced, yeah.” The Mayor of Water Seven agreed, grease and soot streaking his face and the bandana tied over his hair. “Water and coal have been loaded, and it’s storing the steam right now.”

“I’m warning you, this is a crazy train.” Kokoro voiced merrily, earning a deadpan look from Hikari as Sora hopped down to join Luffy and Chopper in peering through windows.

“You say that like my life isn’t _already_ on a crazy train…”

“Wait to rejoice until you survive the ride.” Iceberg warned, sitting heavily as his foremen hovered about worriedly. “After all, this was a failure built before Puffing Tom was completed. No matter how much you tune it up, its steam engine can’t control the speed. I can’t guarantee your lives.”

“That’s about par for the course.” Zoro noted, dropping an arm across Hikari’s shoulders when she sighed.

“Unfortunately…”

“Thanks, Ice-pops!” Luffy called, Chopper and Sora mimicking him as he grabbed a set of steps to get into the large main car. “Alright! Let’s go! Get on board!”

“Let your buddies know we’re ready to go.” Hikari ordered, Kiwi and Mozu snapping off salutes before running back up the steps.

“Paulie.”

The rope-wielding foreman froze in his not-so-subtle sneak towards Rocketman, Lulu and Tilestone matching his pose.

“Even if I ordered you not to go, you all would sneak on board anyway.” Iceberg deduced, all three hanging their heads guiltily as the Straw Hats scrambled aboard. “So take these.”

Pressing a spike of hair near his temple, which reappeared around the back, Lulu accepted one of three envelopes curiously as Tilestone straightened.

“What’re these?!”

“Severance pay.” The mayor answered simply, serious. “I was not able to do it myself, so I’ll ask you to give these to Lucci, Kaku and Kalifa as soon as possible. I don’t want any of them to further smear the reputation of Galley-La, understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

“GET YOUR ASSES ON THIS METAL DEATH TRAP OR WE’RE LEAVING WITHOUT YOU!!!”

With startled yelps, they rushed to do just that, and Hikari eyed them before turning to Iceberg with a smile.

“Take care, Iceberg-san.”

“Be safe.”

The door shuts firmly, and a whistle went off as the wheels began to turn.

“Now, pirates! Don’t go getting thrown off, okay?!” Kokoro ordered, water spraying as they picked up speed. “Now departing Water Seven for Enies Lobby...Here comes the sea-train, Rocketman!”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Hikari hissed, grabbing Luffy by the scruff before he could climb out the window into the growing rain.

“Dad, inside!” Sora yelped, latching onto him like a koala cub, and the Paramecia gave in with a giggle.

“Hold on!” Nami yelped, nearly jolting off her feet when Rocketman roared out of a gushing canal and barreled through a wider, newer section of tunnels.

Zoro grabbed onto the pinkette’s shoulder when their trajectory took a sudden downward turn, and she pulled all four of them away from the car’s rear wall.

“The exit is real close now!” Kokoro shouted back, waving around a bottle. “We’ll keep on going and go down in one shot!”

Chopper tumbled back into Lassoo’s braced flank as they picked up even more speed, Luffy peering out the window in wonder moments before this raging length of steel leaped into open air, lightning flashing.

“SODOM! GOMORRAH!”

The Paramecia’s jaw dropped at the King Bulls that suddenly took flight after them, a rather sizable boat hooked to their backs and bearing the entire Franky Family, with Momoo waving excitedly from one’s head.

“Fire the connection cable!”

“Oh, this is gonna suck-”

Hikari yelped when the entire back wall exploded inward, hooked harpoons finding purchase in the metal-and-wood walls and nearly knocking Tilestone right on his ass in surprise.

“You idiots! Don’t be reckless!” Zoro shouted, Lulu braced on the ceiling like a startled cat.

“Hey, monster-granny!” Luffy shouted, stretching his neck to peer into the engine room as Kiwi, Mozu and Zambai crossed the connection cable to join them amid Nami’s cursing and Paulie’s fresh rush of insults. “Is this as fast as it goes? It’s not fast at all…”

“Well, just hold your horses. Once it gets on the railway, you’ll see.”

“In this storm, it’s probably drifted.” Hikari noted, peering out at the thickening rain and rising waves.

“I’ve observed the sea-train since it’s development!” Kokoro assured, leaning out the window to peer through the sheets of water coming down. “Don’t underestimate me!”

Peeking her head out, Sora squinted through the dark, eyes shifting to a bright silver…

“There!”

“I see it!” Their conductor cackled, turning the wheel. “Urgent message from the engine room! The train will get on the railway shortly! Once it does, it’ll rapidly accelerate! Hold on tight to something so that your injuries won’t be severe!”

Hikari sighed at the sudden weight of Nami, Chopper and Lassoo on her back, Luffy whining before wrapping his arms around all four anyway.

Rocketman lurched left, right, just barely missing the underwater tracks-

“Grandma! That was close! That was close! A little to the right!”

…

“WHAT!?!”

Chopper squeaked, clinging tighter when Hikari nearly jumped out to see Chimney and Gonbe sitting happily on the slickened engine block.

“FOR THE LOVE OF- _PANTHERLILY_!”

With a startled gasp, girl and rabbit-cat were suddenly plucked off this runaway train, and Zambai fell back in surprise when the winged-cat whirled back around through a different window in a spray of rainwater.

“This is why I never want kids…” The soaked cat-Spirit mumbled into the floorboards, Chimney already popping up with a laugh.

“That was so fun! Again!”

“Not again!” Hikari scolded, knocking her upside the head to Zoro’s amusement. “Does this look like a pleasure cruise?! What are you even-”

Of course, that was the exact moment Rocketman finally got onto the tracks.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Alright, how you wanna do this?” Gina wondered, leaning next to the rear door of Puffing Tom’s last compartment with crossed arms.

“Good question.” Sanji agreed, frowning when the flame of his light sputtered out in the high winds and rain, and Usopp stilled his knocking knees with great effort.

“Maybe we could just pick the lock and sneak in-”

All three stared when said door suddenly opened, revealing a startled government agent, before smiles curled across Sanji and Gina’s faces.

“Thanks for the help.”

A foot and a fist sent the poor idiot flying back down the aisle, and the Iron Dragon grinned demonically at all of the swords, pistols and knuckledusters suddenly brandished in their direction.

“I’m really liking this plan.”

“I’m not!” Usopp squawked, holding his dragon-iron Kabuto like a staff, and Sanji pulled out a fresh cigarette to light, unruffled.

“Just stay behind us, then.”

“Hey!” One of the agents shouted, turning quickly. “Let Lucci-san know that suspicious perpetrators have infiltrated!”

“Wait.”

Usopp paled when he looked up to see a rather large figure bent at the waist over them, neat black suit matching those of his men, and Gina quirked a brow, shoving back wet bangs.

“This isn’t something that we need to bother CP9 with. No matter how violent the suspicious people are, there’s no need to fear, because in this car, you’ve got me!”

“Jerry-san!” The nervous agents praised, clearly relieved, Sanji tipping back his head as Usopp suddenly reappeared attached to Gina’s back.

“I’m a champion on a South Blue island where karate is popular.” Jerry explained, adjusting his thin-framed glasses. “That’s right, I’m a boxing champion!”

“Then do karate.” The cook replied, and Jerry blew away the smoke rising into his face, pulling on a pair of boxing gloves.

“You can make a comment like that after you see my punches. Jerry Aurora Flicker Jab!”

Lunging underneath his flailing fists, the trio of Straw Hats watched as Jerry effectively punched out all of his own men before catching on.

“Hey, kid! Just because I’m so tall, don’t think that I’m at a disadvantage in this small car!”

“This is the first time I’ve been warned by someone from between their legs.” Sanji noted, motioning for Gina to step back.

“My boxing rather puts me at an advantage in a narrow space. This is a yoga style!”

Usopp flailed his Kabuto when the excessively-tall agent twisted himself into a pretzel to throw short jabs.

“Yoga, one-two! One-two!”

“Your reach has gotten shorter!”

“So I made it look like, and then…”

Jerry began to spin himself, pushing hard off the floor.

“Screw Drop Kick!”

“Now you’re ignoring the rules of boxing?!” The sniper lamented while Sanji ducked under the attack, turning with a frown when his opponent pushed off the back wall.

“This is a waste of time. Brochette!”

The still-conscious agents went pale, staring at their downed leader, and Gina smirked, arms already shifting into blades.

“Try to put up a better fight. Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Fractured Fury!”

To Usopp’s intense relief, they did not.

Practically pouting, the Iron Dragon kicked bodies out of their way towards the opposite door, and Sanji glanced back as he stepped into the rain-heavy air between cars.

“Follow my lead.”

Snapping a salute, Usopp hunkered on Gina’s shoulders as they stepped into the next car, walking by the seated agents without so much as a sideways glance.

No one made a move as the Straw Hats crossed into a seatless section of the car, until-

“You fools! What’re you doing?! Besides the criminals, everyone here is wearing a uniform!”

Sanji’s leg snapped back to knock out the loudmouth, and Gina perked up, like a hellhound smelling fresh blood.

“So plan B?”

“Plan B.” The cook agreed, grabbing a frozen Usopp off her back. “Don’t make too big a mess.”

The agents scrambling up paled at her smile.

“More fun with a handicap, anyway. Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Metallic Morne!”

Usopp’s jaw hit the floor along with the bodies, almost crying in disbelief.

“How can a kid be such a monster?!”

“She’s a _dragon_ kid.” Sanji reminded him, turning to eye the bagged-up form of Franky slumped against a few crates.

“Hold it!”

A pair of twin agents turned on their barstool seats from a table of Transponder Snails, pulling out matching swords as they stood.

“We’re not gonna let you pass through-”

“SUNFLOWER STAR!”

Five rather impressive explosions, and the cook blinked at the downed men as Usopp shook with residual nerves.

“Nice.” Gina approved, wiping blood off her blades with a downed mook’s shirt.

“O-Of course!” Their sniper blurted, chest puffing out. “I’m Captain Usopp, the best sniper in the world! No one can sneak up on us while I’m here!”

“Oi.”

The shriek that escaped him was only audible to dragons and, Gina suspected with a wince, most dogs.

“Who’re you guys?” Franky complained, eyes spinning.

“We’re Straw Hats.” The Iron Dragon replied, rubbing at her ear soothingly with a lopsided grin. “Mom sent us to get you and Robin out of trouble.”

The blue-haired mob boss blinked for a moment before snorting out a laugh, smiling.

“Honestly didn’t expect her to bother, given the trouble my guys gave you all yesterday.”

“You kidding? I had fun.” Gina brushed off, ripping his bindings open and offering a hand up. “Come on, we’ve still got a ways to go.”

“Hikari-hime~” Sanji crooned into his earpiece, already noodling. “We found the gorilla, just like you wanted!”

“ _So they did have Robin and Franky separated...Eisaku?_ ”

Franky jumped at a sudden blast of static in his ears, arms wind-milling for balance before a familiar voice came through.

“ _Figured you’d have something like that built in. Are you alright, Franky?_ ”

“I’m SUPER!” He assured, striking his best pose, and Gina snorted on a laugh as Usopp face-palmed. “So, what’s the plan, sis?”

“ _Avoid CP9, and get Robin off that train._ ” Hikari replied, her voice now being transmitted to all four earpieces. “ _But be careful. Robin...She’s so frightened by what they threatened to do to us that she’s not being rational. If she doesn’t listen to reason...You’ll have to take her down and drag her away._ ”

Gina's smile fell, expression suddenly calm and fierce, and Sanji paused in lighting another cigarette.

"Hikari-hime, are you asking us not to fight?"

Usopp fidgeted in the tense silence, gaze flicking up to a suddenly-serious Franky.

" _...Stars, I wish I could._ " The key-holder admitted, sounding tired. " _I know you're all just as pissed off as I am...Priority is getting back Robin, but if you can?_ "

The sniper felt a tingle of adrenaline at the deep growl in her voice then, washing away his nerves.

" ** _Make them regret being born_** _._ "

Cracking his knuckles, Franky grinned.

"Sounds like a plan, sis."


	30. Water Seven Arc: Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> This is it! The last chapter for Water Seven! Now, it's on to Enies Lobby!
> 
> I don't think you can fathom how excited I am to finally reach this arc. It's such a milestone for the series, and there was a point I honestly thought I'd never get this far. This is the longest story I've worked on in roughly a decade, paired with the longest anime I've ever watched, and I'm just really proud of myself for getting here. Thanks to all of you for sticking with me, even through a rewrite, and I hope that I do this justice.
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

“Grandma! Grandma!” 

Looking up from the low conversation she was having with Kurama, Hikari frowned at seeing Chimney waving from a window, a wide-eyed Sora at her side. 

“It’s Aqua Laguna!” 

“That doesn’t sound good.” The kitsune-Spirit noted, wisely fading back through his Gate as Nami shoved the window open, leaning out. 

“This is bad! Kokoro-san, is it okay for you to leave the engine room at a time like this?! We somehow need to dodge that high wave!” 

“I told you, didn’t I?” The old woman replied, calm. “That we can’t control Rocketman. Even when we want to operate it, nothing works, including the brake. My job ended when the train got on the railway. Hence, the train is always running at full throttle. No one can stop it anymore.” 

“...KARI-CHAN!” Their navigator almost wailed, tears running down her face, and the pinkette sighed, standing. 

“Luffy, Zoro, we’re up.” 

“Alright!” The Paramecia cheered, swinging out a window. 

“About time.” Their swordsman agreed as he followed, and Hikari paused with a foot on the sill. 

“Tell the others to hold their fire and brace themselves. We’ve got this.” 

There was quiet once she disappeared from view, the foremen of Galley-La and the current leaders of the Franky Family sharing a glance before scrambling out the rear wall. 

“Wait for us!” Chopper pleaded, clinging to Sora’s back with Lassoo and Kilala as the Sky Dragon ran to keep up. 

Rain fell in sheets against Rocketman’s steel hide, and eyes widened at the sight of a literal _wall of water_ , one that even rivaled the Red Line in sheer magnitude, bearing down on them. 

And at Rocketman’s head were the three Monsters of the Straw Hat Pirates, unwavering in the face of what looked like certain death, Zoro placing Wado’s hilt in his mouth while Luffy stretched and Hikari brushed back her wet ponytail, light misting off her skin. 

“What’s a hundred-and-eight times three?” Their captain wondered, boyfriend humming. 

“Three-hundred-and-twenty-four.” 

“Three-hundred-and-twenty-four...That’s long and hard to say.” 

“So round it.” Their girlfriend reasoned, eyes molten gold and shining in the stormy night. 

“Okay then, four hundred!” Luffy decided, winding up as Zoro took a stance. 

“Okay!” 

Starlight condensed in Hikari’s hands, growing brighter and brighter, and their new allies watched in amazement as Aqua Laguna came within yards of Rocketman’s nose. 

“Gum Gum-” 

“Four Hundred Pound-” 

“Celestial Dragon’s-” 

“ ** _CANNON_**!!!” 

And jaws clanged hard against steel as a _tunnel_ , wide enough to let a whole fleet of galleons strung up side by side go through with plenty of room to spare, bored through Aqua Laguna for Rocketman to roar through on a suspended track in a piercing silence. 

Even the King Bulls were stunned quiet, and not a sound was made until they burst out into the raging storm on the other side a handful of minutes later. 

“WE GOT THROUGH AQUA LAGUNA!!!” Zambai shouted, tears streaming down his face in joy as the Franky Family broke out in celebration. “I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA DIE!!!” 

“So dramatic.” Hikari noted fondly, Luffy turning to flash them a grin and a peace sign. 

“Those’re our parents!” Chopper cheered tearfully, Lassoo howling along. “They’re the bestest, strongest parents in the whole world!” 

“Bestest!” Sora agreed, hopping up and down with them in her arms. 

“That was amazing!” Mozu praised, her sister nodding quickly. 

“That was beyond human power!” 

Brushing back sodden bangs, the pinkette rolled her eyes at Zoro’s snicker. 

“Get inside, before you all catch a cold.” 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

“Ready?” 

Gina grinned, taking hold of the rearmost-car’s door. 

“ _So_ ready.” 

The marines searching inside froze in ripping open cushions and peering under seats when the barrier swung open, and all four waved. 

“Hello, there!” 

Moments after the door slammed back closed, chaos erupted. 

“I love our plans.” The Iron Dragon noted, securing the door with a generous amount of Kunai before grabbing Usopp and swinging back up onto the roof after Sanji. “They make me feel all fuzzy inside.” 

“They’re SUPER cheeky!” Franky agreed, rushing after them to the fifth car where Gina was already securing this other exit behind the last racing marine. “Hold on!” 

The connection came apart easily in his massive hand, and they watched the two cars immediately begin to lose acceleration, falling uselessly away on the track to, most likely, meet Rocketman and the vengeful reinforcements there. 

“May God have mercy on your souls.” Usopp intoned, crossing himself. “Because Kari _definitely_ won’t.” 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Setting aside the towel Virgo had provided, Hikari peeled off her damp top and shook out her mussed curls, grabbing up a white tube top with strips of silver leather that came up over her shoulders and crossed her back, where her Asteria Bolts could be easily held. 

Next was a set of wrap shorts, the outer, almost scale-origami mid-thigh folds a dark leather that parted in front to reveal shorter, silvery lace shorts underneath, and she leaned down to do up the straps of gladiator sandals, the white and black ribbons criss-crossing before tying neatly behind her ankles. 

Stretching back upright, Hikari blew out a calming breath, gathering up her hair- 

“What’re you looking at?!” Zoro snarled, brandishing Wado and Sandai Kitetsu at the bloody-nosed Zambai, Tilestone and Lulu. 

“What’s wrong with you guys?” The pinkette wondered, tying that old green bandana into a neat bow to hold her ponytail, and he whipped around with a glare. 

“Damn it, woman! Stop taking your clothes off in front of people!” 

“What does it matter to them?” She retorted, swaying slightly when Luffy slingshotted back between her breasts. “My body isn’t anything half the world doesn’t have.” 

“And it’s not like we have another car.” Nami agreed, straightening her short jacket and giving her Perfect Clima-Tact a twirl. 

“How dare you so openly change in front of everyone, you shameless girls?!” Paulie erupted, bright red, and the three nose-bleeding men flashed thumbs-up before toppling over. 

“Nice shamelessness.” 

“Hide your belly! Belly and legs! You guys, too, Square Sisters! People like you corrupt society!” 

“I’m hearing a lot of personal problems.” Hikari drawled, crouching to straighten out Chopper’s jacket and pat Lassoo’s head. 

“Shut up, you shy man.” Mozu agreed, Kiwi nodding as Paulie started to steam. 

“Shy man.” 

“You little-” 

“Those fit alright?” Hikari wondered, and Luffy nodded, swinging his legs around the key-holder’s hips to show his black shorts. 

“Yeah! But I wish the pockets were bigger, so I could put more meat in there…” 

“That’s not what they’re for!” 

“That doesn’t sound right…” 

Giggling, the Sky Dragon skipped over to where a fuming Zoro was debating who exactly he should dismember first, hanging off his arm with a smile. 

“Papa! Like?” 

The swordsman paused, taking in the little dragon with her Aries-wool turtleneck sweater-dress- _which was lovingly dyed a deep blue-green by H_ _ikari_ -and thick dark gray leggings neatly tucked into white high-top sneakers, her dark lapis hair carefully braided with red ribbons into pigtails, before deflating. 

“Of course you look nice, kid.” 

“Aw…” The Galley-La foremen and Franky Family voiced, scattering at his sudden gnashing snarl. 

“SHUT IT!” 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

“Cyborgs are _awesome_.” Gina decided as they exited the fifth car, leaving behind a few more unconscious government agents. “You gotta show me all the cool shit you can do, Franky!” 

“Yeah, I’m pretty SUPER!” Said cyborg agreed, ducking through after them into the rain. 

“Focus.” Sanji ordered, stepping into a kitchen car, and Usopp pulled up short to watch a crazily-smiling little white-haired man race around on a dining cart. 

“I’m Wanze! I’m mad, mad Wanze!” 

“Sounds about right.” Gina drawled, watching him roll over the walls and ceiling with demented giggles. 

“Now, now, now! I’m Wanze!” 

Sanji glanced around, rather unimpressed, when the strange man suddenly put on the brakes. 

“Hey, you guys! Are you hungry? I’m Wanze! I’m the head steward, so I can cook anything! Would you like ramen noodles? Well then, I’ll make ramen noodles. But before that, there’s a snippet of knowledge I want you to have. My nose hairs look like this!” 

Usopp’s brows furrowed, puzzled, at the cross Wanze made with his fingers. 

“They’re reticulate inside, which means they look like fishnet pantyhose. Keep that in mind!” 

“I’d rather not…” Gina muttered as he started stuffing flour by the handful into his mouth. 

“Okay, then! First, I’ll put the flour in my mouth and knead it well.” 

With some pressure on each cheek, Wanze made a heavy chewing motion, and Franky shuddered in disgust imagining what that must taste like...

And then noodles erupted from his nose, and he presented the steaming bowl after adding broth. 

“Now, bon apetit!” 

“WHO’D EAT THAT!?!” 

“That was a waste of time.” Sanji decided, calming. “Wanze, we’re keeping someone waiting. So, we’re in a hurry. See ya.” 

“Hold it.” 

The Iron Dragon bristled at the sudden stillness in Wanze’s posture, scales creeping up her forearms. 

“If you want to pass through this car, you’ll have to defeat me first!” 

Throwing off his white coat with a flurry of punches, Wanze took a stance, and the Straw Hat cook stared him down. 

“Are you trying to stop us?” 

“I will stop you! Now, now, now! For this escort mission on the sea-train, I’m here to deal with attacks like this just in case they happen! If you want to let the criminal free, then beat my Ramen Kenpo!” 

“Ramen Kenpo?” Usopp sputtered in disbelief, and Wanze made a similar face. “That son of a bitch! He’s mocking me!” 

“Don’t be taken in, idiot!” Sanji snapped. “You’re playing right into his hands!” 

“Now, now, now! How was my impersonation of that idiot? Now, now, now!” 

“What a restless guy.” Franky grumbled, clicking his forearm to reveal guns hidden by the wrist, and Wanze danced around the rapid-fire assault that escaped. “The bullets grazed him, and yet his expression didn’t change. He even looks relaxed…” 

“...I-I thought my heart would jump out of my skin!” 

“DON’T SHOW CONFUSING EXPRESSIONS!” 

“Oi!” Gina growled, yanking both Usopp and Franky back by the arms. “Focus! Only one person’s gotta beat this guy up, we’ve gotta get to Robin!” 

“I’ll make short work of him.” Sanji agreed, stepping forward. “What upsets me is that someone like you would call yourself a cook!” 

“...” 

“I’M TALKING TO YOU!” 

Gina face-palmed when the cook kicked out, Wanze diving out of the way. 

“What’s it with boys and not thinking, huh?” 

“But look!” Usopp voiced, worried. “He dodged Sanji’s kick easily! What’s with his relaxed expression?!” 

“...I-I thought I was a goner!” 

“STOP THAT PATTERN!” 

“At any rate, leave this guy to me.” The cook decided, rising to jerk his thumb towards the opposite door. “You guys go to the next car. Don’t forget that this is Operation Rescue Robin-chan.” 

“That’s impossible!” Wanze denied, grabbing up a bag of flour to guzzle down. “I-Won’t-Let-You-Pass-Through! I’ll knead alloy flour and-” 

The government stooge flailed at finding his targets gone, whipping around with wide eyes as Gina opened the opposite door, brow quirked. 

“Sorry, were we supposed to wait for you to finish?” 

“You brat! Ramen Beam!” 

Shoving Franky through to shield Usopp, Gina crossed her arms as needles of sharp ramen noodles skittered off iron scales, Sanji dodging neatly under the shrapnel and extending a leg for her to jump on and be propelled outside past a startled Franky. 

“Alright, we’re out!” Usopp burst, relieved, glancing up at the next car. “So there’s three more. Gina, do you know where Robin is?” 

“First car.” She answered immediately, nearly giving Franky whiplash. 

“How do you know that?!” 

“I’m an Iron Dragon, so I’ve got a sixth sense with metal and earth.” She explained, shrugging. “The vibrations of the train on the tracks means I’ve got a pretty good idea where people are. There’s only one person in the front car, and four in the second, so that means CP9 is blocking the way. We can’t go straight through.” 

“Hm…” 

Usopp lit up, digging through his pack. 

“I’ve got an idea! How do you feel about octopi?” 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

“Hime!” 

Mozu and Kiwi ducked with matching yelps when the window behind them suddenly slammed open, a small Pantherlily leaning in as he pointed ahead. 

“There are two detached train-cars on the tracks up ahead! They must be from the Puffing Tom!” 

“That means Sanji, Usopp or Gina could be on them!” Chopper panicked, nearly toppling off Lassoo’s back, as Zambai jumped up. 

“Or Big Bro Franky!” 

“We’ll collide with the cars either way.” Hikari pointed out grimly, turning to Pantherlily. “Fly ahead and check the cars for our crewmates. Take out any marines that get in your way.” 

“Of course, hime!” 

Wings spreading, the cat-Spirit wheeled off into the stormy night, and Paulie frowned. 

“Isn’t that a little dangerous for a little guy like him?” 

Zoro snickered at that, and Luffy grinned, waving off his concern with a ham bone. 

“Don’t worry about Lily! He’s plenty strong enough to take care of guys like that, or Kari wouldn’t have sent him!” 

“Honestly, what kind of person do you take me for?” The pinkette grumbled, patting Sora’s head when the young dragon frowned in concern. “Come on, you two.” 

Tossing aside the clean bones of his snack, the Paramecia bounced out ahead of his lovers with a cheer, and Zoro put a boot on the sill before pausing, yellow jacket flapping against bare skin. 

“What are the chances I get to cut something?” 

“If I’m right?” Hikari replied, smiling as she slid past him. “Pretty damn high.” 

The swordsman grinned, much too sharp with glee to be comforting for anyone but them. 

“ _Perfect_.” 

Nami sighed once the Monster Trio were gone, eyeing the restless people left with her in the nice, dry car. 

“Just go.” 

“Out of the way!” 

“Ladies first!” 

“Hey!” 

Rolling her eyes at the commotion from below, Hikari stepped towards their sea-train’s nose, peering through the rain at the rapidly-approaching cars ahead... 

A large, familiar blade was raised from the roof, swaying side to side in a negative, and she nodded as her Spirit faded away, the Franky Family and Galley-La foremen crowding around. 

“They’re not in the cars.” 

“Alright.” Luffy decided, grinning. “Hey, Zoro. Cut them. They’re in our way.” 

“Sure.” 

All of the onlookers face-planted at this nonchalant response as Zoro took her place on the conical nose. 

“The ego of the entropic world...can be slashed into pieces.” 

Pulling the sheathed Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu from his haramaki, the swordsman took a stance. 

“Two Swords Style Sword Draw...Rashomon.” 

And the cars split neatly, bloodlessly, in half and fell out of Rocketman’s way. 

Glancing back to watch them land with a splash in the turbulent waters, effectively four rather large rafts, Hikari smiled as Luffy pumped a fist. 

“Awesome!” 

“Hey, if you guys were going to do something like that, you could’ve at least told us!” Lulu complained, a hand over his racing heart. 

“You heard me saying ‘cut them’, right?” 

“WHO WOULD THINK HE COULD?!” 

“We would’ve collided if we didn’t cut them, right?!” 

“Well, that’s true, but we needed to be prepared, you know!” 

“Don’t come up here if you can’t handle it.” Hikari scolded, the rain having more or less petered out as they drew further and further from Aqua Laguna. 

But Zoro made no move to step away, instead pulling on his bandana as a new shape bobbed into view. 

“A Sea King.” Luffy realized, hopping onto her back to stretch his neck upwards. “It’s cut clean in half! Sashimi! Grilled fish!” 

BAM! 

“Focus!” 

“It was large enough to swallow this whole tin can without issue.” Kilala noted, the nekomata steadying Sora when the rising winds threatened to fill her wings, and Chopper nodded numbly. 

“We’re not done yet.” Zoro warned, eyes shadowed by his bandana. 

“Mama!” Sora called, eyes wide and eagle-silver. “Man!” 

“There’s someone there!” Zambai confirmed, adjusting the sight over his left eye before going pale. “That’s Ship-Slasher!” 

As their audience freaked out, Luffy turned to Hikari with wide, curious eyes. 

“Ship-Slasher is the moniker of Captain T-Bone, a Navy Headquarters Captain.” She explained, untroubled. “He was once a royal knight, and is still a great swordsman. It doesn’t surprise me he could run on these tracks, or cut that Sea King in half. Hey, you!” 

The Franky Family froze in scrambling around their attached ship, ammo in hand, and the key-holder glared. 

“I told you to save those. Zoro will take care of him.” 

“Leave it to Zoro.” Luffy agreed, expression stern. “Don’t interfere!” 

Stars filled Chopper and Lassoo’s eyes as said swordsman stepped closer, voice rising over the wind. 

“I’ll tell you only once! Get out of our way!” 

“This path leads to the origins of justice!” T-Bone shouted back, drawing his own sword. “I’m a captain at Navy Headquarters! I will not live on in disgrace! I’ll stop you guys by slashing you in two!” 

“I can’t allow that, as our destination lies beyond where you stand!” Zoro retorted, placing Wado Ichimonji between his teeth and drawing Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu into each hand. 

“Right-Angle Flying Bird-” 

“Three Swords Style-” 

“Bone Phoenix!” 

“Gyuki Yuzume!” 

And they watched Captain T-Bone of Navy Headquarters fly past in a spray of blood, defeated. 

A rubbery hand snapped out, catching their boyfriend’s own, and their audience could only stare in stunned silence as Zoro was swung back onto Rocketman, sheathing all three swords. 

“HE DID IT!” Chopper burst, leaping into a giggling Sora’s arms as celebrations erupted. “That was so cool! Did you see?!” 

“Cool! Cool!” 

“Considering how things turned out, there’s no question Sanji and the others detached those cars.” Hikari noted, ideas turning over in her mind. “If we’re lucky...We might catch up with them before Enies Lobby.” 

“Go, Rocketman!” Luffy urged, throwing both arms up in celebration. “We’re gonna beat up the pigeon guy!” 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Octopushoes squishing as they suctioned to the Puffing Tom’s sides, Gina grunted as she finally crossed to the foremost car with Usopp clinging tight to her back. 

A few more feet, and there was Robin’s face in the window, reflection impossibly sad. 

Usopp’s finger tapped gently on the slick glass, and the archaeologist jolted when her eyes focused on them, startled. 

“Long-nose? Gina?” 

Rising quickly, she opened the window and stepped aside so the Iron Dragon could swing them in, the wind luckily having dried them now that Aqua Laguna was far enough away that there was no rain. 

“What’s going on?” Robin demanded, voice breathy before gaining strength. “Why are you here?! How’d you get on board?!” 

“We jumped.” Gina replied smartly, shaking out her arms as Usopp collapsed on a seat. “Come on, Sanji and Franky are busy fighting a couple goons, and we managed to sneak around those CP9 assholes.” 

“Luffy’s also right behind us on another sea-train with the others.” Usopp added, leaning forward on his knees. “He got a big group!” 

Robin’s jaw tensed, blue eyes flicking sideways, and Gina frowned, almost seeing the reflection of flames there. 

“Those guys in the other car, they seem really strong.” Their sniper continued, not catching on to her lack of attention. “So we should go before Sanji decides to confront them. Let’s go!” 

Her knuckles went white, cloak bunching in shaking fingers, and Gina realized then what Hikari had meant. 

“Robin…” 

Usopp went quiet at the Iron Dragon’s soft tone, catching on that something was wrong. 

“Do you remember when we first met?” 

Eyelashes fluttering, Robin seemed to come back to reality a moment, confused. 

“What…?” 

“I had been locked up in that room for a week before then.” Gina recounted, shadows in blood-red eyes. “No light, no water, just...sitting there. I could feel people, walking across the floor and sitting at the tables, but it was like a dream. I didn’t exist. Even when I was there, I wasn’t. Just...a ghost that no one could see.” 

Usopp’s heart sank as tears wavered in her eyes, refusing to fall. 

“But you...Robin, you _saw me_. No one...no one had seen me in so long…” 

And in that moment, Gina did not look so much like a dragon as she did a fourteen-year-old girl, heart bared to show all the scars. 

“I can’t leave you here. I _can’t_.” 

Robin was shaken, cracks forming in her stony expression, and Usopp leaned forward, pressing. 

“Robin...We know why you’re so insistent on this. We’re not so weak that you need to worry about us. Do you really think we’d be happy to be alive knowing that it was because our friend had to sacrifice herself? We’ll follow you to the depths of hell and take out your enemies! You still don’t get what kind of man Luffy is!” 

Gina’s heart dropped when those flames returned in blue eyes, eating away at all hope. 

“It’s you guys who don’t get it! I don’t have the slightest desire to be rescued! Don’t just do as you please!” 

The door creaked, and all eyes snapped around. 

“What are you making a racket for, Nico Robin?” 

_Shit_. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

“Hey, look!” 

Hikari raised her head, dark gold-flecked eyes refocusing as Luffy stretched up on her shoulders, squinting past Rocketman’s nose. 

“There’s that frog again!” 

“Frog?” Zoro echoed, chin dropping on her hair. “Oh, it’s that front-crawling frog.” 

“Front-crawling…” 

The pinkette jolted, nearly knocking her boyfriend’s right off the sea-train. 

“Fuck, it’s Yokozuna! If he doesn’t move, we’ll get derailed!” 

Pulling a gold key from between her breasts, she pressed the blade against slick metal, gaze locked on the nearing frog. 

“Aquarius!” 

The amphibian squeaked when he was lifted in a bubble of water, webbed hands smacking in annoyance as he floated closer, safely out of the way and allowing Rocketman to continue on his journey. 

“Hey, you.” The mermaid-Spirit voiced sternly, shaking him like a snow-globe. “Don’t be getting in the brat’s way.” 

“Hey, could you bring him over here?” 

Aquarius glanced over to Kokoro with a quirked brow, but shrugged at her key-holder’s nod, floating the bubble towards where the station attendant was leaning out of the engine room’s window. 

“Ribbit!” Yokozuna cried out, smiling at the sight of her. 

“You’re glad we’re okay? Jeez...I didn’t get kidnapped! You jumped the gun.” 

“Ribbit?” 

“Seriously, what happened to your body? It’s full of scars! Since that day eight years ago...Since that incident where Tom-san was taken away, you’ve been challenging the sea-train every single day.” 

Hikari listened to this quietly, gaze distant, and Aquarius pressed a hand to Luffy’s hat when the Paramecia frowned, leaning into a silent Zoro. 

“You wanted to become strong, right? So that you won’t lose those you love again, so that you can protect those you love.” 

“Ribbit…” 

“Yokozuna, then now’s the time for you to show the result of that training! Franky, the one you love so much, has been taken away just like Tom-san was. This train is currently headed towards where he is, too. Do you wanna come along?” 

“RIBBIT!” 

“Looks like we have a new comrade.” Zoro noted, Luffy grinning rubber-wide. 

“Alright!” 

“Brat.” 

Turning, Hikari caught sight of another detached car in their path, bobbing in the calming waves. 

With a wave of Aquarius' hand, the entire obstruction was lifted out of their way on a layer of water, and Luffy stretched out an arm to open the nearest door. 

“Sanji! Usopp! Gina!” 

But when the blonde cook staggered out, battered and bleeding, the look on his face dampened their hopes. 

“I’m so sorry, Hikari-hime...We couldn’t bring her back.” 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Usopp shivered, hidden in the folds of Robin’s cloak, and Gina disappeared against the ceiling, curved claws digging through wood and steel to anchor her in place. 

“What’s the matter?” Corgi taunted, stepping inside without a single suspicion. “Now that Enies Lobby is getting closer, is it hard for even you to remain calm?” 

Gina watched him approach with sharp eyes, tense as a coiled spring. 

“Even if you cry about your destiny now, it’s not like your life will be saved or anything.” 

“It’s nothing.” Robin replied blandly, and the Iron Dragon resisted the urge to face-palm when Usopp’s exposed hands began to gesticulate, startling Corgi. “It’s nothing, so leave me alone.” 

Luckily, despite the antics, the government agent began to leave... 

Then he paused, turning with a suspicious glare, and Robin spoke coolly even while Usopp freaked out. 

“Is something wrong?” 

Corgi walked slowly back down the aisle, studying them, and Usopp realized the exact moment he had been spotted. 

“Ha! See?! My sense of smell is absolute-” 

THWACK! 

The sniper blinked, peeking out to see their accuser slump bonelessly to the ground, and Gina flexed her fingers with a scoff. 

“Sure it is.” 

A series of heavy BANGS drew their attention back towards the door, then a sudden CRASH, and Robin stood up sharply. 

“Robin?” Usopp squeaked, protection suddenly gone, and flailed upright when she headed towards the second car where CP9 was waiting. “Wait, Robin!” 

“Shit, we’ve gotta go!” Gina growled, lurching forward. “Sanji and Franky broke our cover! Robin, wait!” 

A blooming hand wrenched the door open when she was grabbed by an urgent Iron Dragon, revealing just what they were expecting; Sanji and Franky on the opposite side of a luxurious car with all four CP9 agents between them. 

“Whoa! Robin-chan!” The cook cheered, almost floating. “Good! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!” 

“Sanji, remember that problem mom talked about?” Gina grit out, glaring down the government assassins as iron scales swarmed up her skin. “We’re kinda dealing with that right now.” 

“Let’s go back together this time!” He cajoled, clearly too happy and woman-dazed to realize how strange their entrance had been. “I’ll bring these guys down right away, so...Okay, Robin-chan?” 

Arms suddenly bloomed across Usopp’s back, flipping him in a painful twist, and Gina grunted when her own arms were twisted back, legs caught in a tight grip that forced her into a skid past Sanji. 

“What’re you doing, Robin-chan?!” 

“Even if I explain, you guys just won’t get it, will you?” The archaeologist replied, extra limbs dissolving into petals. 

A dark, ominous laugh filled the train car, and Gina rolled back onto her feet with a growl at Rob Lucci. 

“Franky!” Usopp shouted, eyes sparking with an idea. “Detach car three!” 

“What’re we gonna do?!” The cyborg sputtered, caught off-guard by the demand. 

“We’re gonna run! SMOKE STAR!” 

The entire room filled with floral smoke, strong enough to make Gina gag on bile, but she lunged into the blinding camouflage with purpose, reaching- 

“GOT HER!” 

“GO! GO GO GO!” 

“Let me go!” The older assassin ordered, but Gina just hefted her up into a fireman’s carry and ran, leaping into the next car just as an exuberant Franky broke the connection. 

“Alright! We got Robin back!” 

“At any rate, that sure surprised me.” The cyborg noted, watching as the Puffing Tom’s remaining cars pulled away at speed in a cloud of smoke. “To think that we suddenly switched to a ‘Running Away’ strategy…” 

“A smokescreen is so stupid that people wouldn’t normally think of using it.” Sanji agreed, both yelping when iron-scaled fists knocked their faces into the floor. 

“You don’t get to criticize the plan when you fucked shit up in the first place!” Gina barked, shaking the pair by their shirt collars. “What was the point of us sneaking around them if you were just gonna bust the door down, huh?!” 

“It’s best if we can achieve our goal without fighting scary guys like them.” Usopp agreed quickly, placing a hand on Robin’s shoulder. 

“But…” Sanji mused, lighting a cigarette once free. “I don’t know if things are gonna be that simple.” 

“Yeah.” Franky agreed, dusting himself off as Gina glared at the retreating sea-train. “Don’t let your guard down until the cars are really far apart.” 

Thorny whips lashed around their car then, lurching them to a stop, and the Iron Dragon growled. 

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Star Storm!” 

Kalifa cursed when her weapon was sliced apart, paling when the young dragon aimed her scaled hands. 

“Iron Dragon’s Lance: Demon Logs!” 

Whipping out his oversized chisels, Kaku managed to deflect most of the incoming spears into the raging waters, cursing as their targets once against fell away at increasing velocity. 

“Robin, what’re you-?” 

Usopp yelped when sprouting hands pulled him into an awkward hold, Sanji flailing in surprise. 

“Robin-chan?!” 

“Ocho Fleurs! Clu-” 

A Kunai cut through a hand at his throat, dispelling her dangerous grip, and Robin flinched at the phantom pain. 

“How many times do I have to tell you?! Leave me alone!” 

“What part of us trying to rescue you don’t you understand?!” Gina snarled, and Sanji stepped forward, hands raised. 

“We came to rescue you knowing all the circumstances! If we just do something about the Government’s attack, Buster Call, there shouldn’t be a reason that you have to obey them, right?!” 

There was a shift in the air, like a sudden chill up her spine, and the Iron Dragon whipped around to see an Air Door opening, Blueno reaching through for Sanji’s neck- 

“IRON DRAGON’S-” 

“Iron Body-” 

Usopp’s jaw dropped when her fist made visceral contact with an already-broken nose, blood spraying out to Robin’s shock. 

“-HARD FIST!” 

Blueno went flying into the car’s rear wall, his Air Door disappearing, and lurched back upright with clear rage in his eyes. 

“Tempest Kick!” 

Arms crossing, Gina grunted when the sheer force sent her flying back into Franky, both tumbling as Sanji swung back with a matching slash of air that clashed with Blueno’s, a second knocking the chef hard across the car. 

“Fuck!” The Iron Dragon hissed, rolling off a groaning Franky- 

“Finger Pistol!” 

Only to watch, disbelieving, when he stabbed into Usopp’s shoulder with a finger, throwing the sniper down like trash. 

Gina stared at his fallen form, blood frozen in her veins as if time had suddenly stopped… 

“Come, Nico Robin.” Blueno ordered, grabbing the stunned archaeologist by a shoulder. “We’re done here.” 

And all Gina saw was red. 

The sea itself shook with her fury, scales growing thick and sharp like serpentine armor while an iron crown of horns burst forth, roughened and sharp-edged as a circlet of thorns. 

“Gina…” Usopp gasped out, remembering vividly a moment just like this on the Going Merry what felt like so long ago, as heavy claws slammed into the floor. 

Every piece of metal rattled, vibrating in sync, and Sanji swore colorfully as the framework peeled inward like claws, stabbing after the startled CP9 agent like clawed tendrils. 

Flashing rows of sharpened fangs, like a shark of metal and earth and blood, the Iron Dragon lunged, an avalanche of sharp iron made flesh bearing down on Blueno- 

“Shave!” 

Slamming into the floorboards, fists buried deep, the raging beast turned with a snarl to find Blueno quickly retreating through another Air Door, a concussed Franky tossed over his shoulder and Robin’s arm in his grip. 

“ROBIN!!!” 

Yards away, through the turbulent sprays of water and thrum of the engine, Rob Lucci heard the roar of a monster and shivered faintly with anticipation. 

As an Air Door opened, he wondered, if that was the cub... 

What was the mother like? 


	31. Enies Lobby Arc: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> We're here! FINALLY!
> 
> The first couple parts are mostly set-up, because the big chapters are going to be the fights with CP9, so hopefully you like them until then. I'm so excited to be writing this arc, I've been planning it out forever!
> 
> Also, I know the email system has been off, so just check out my Tumblr (https://dragonprincess18.tumblr.com/) for updates on chapters and drabbles. Then you won't miss out!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

Silence filled the train-car once the three battered Straw Hats finished their story, bandaged and fed and subdued in their failure.

“Oh, Robin…” Nami breathed, horrified.

“Why would she fight you?!” Zambai burst, arms flailing as Mozu and Kiwi agreed. “Does she want to die?!”

“When you’re so scared that you can’t think…”

The Franky Family went quiet, and Zoro scowled at the deep, scarred pain in Hikari’s eyes.

“When it feels like every second is just anticipation, waiting for someone to rip out your heart...Death can seem like a relief.”

Paulie chewed more aggressively on his cigar, glancing up to see that steely expression on Luffy’s face, before Sanji lifted his head.

“Hikari-hime...What is the Buster Call?”

The pinkette glanced over, catching numerous curious stares, and sighed.

“The Buster Call...is the Navy’s most powerful weapon. It’s only able to be called with the authority of the three Admirals, the Fleet Admiral...and the Five Elder Stars, the highest of World Nobles. Once an island is targeted, the Navy dispatches ten battleships, each large enough for crews of a thousand men each, helmed by five Vice Admirals...and their only job is to blow the targeted island right out of the sea.”

Usopp was pale as paper, Lassoo snarling while curling protectively around a terrified Chopper.

“That’s horrible!”

“And they call _us_ devils!” Nami spat, wrapping her arms around Sora when the young dragon keened, horribly confused and upset.

“So you’re saying they threatened to do this to Water Seven?!” Paulie raged, Kiwi and Mozu covering their mouths in shock as Tilestone almost roared in fury. “They would have just wiped out the entire island to kill one small crew of pirates?!”

“I’m saying they wouldn’t have hesitated.” Hikari agreed, and her surety unnerved them all. “It’s all for Absolute Justice. They would have killed every single person on Water Seven, from the oldest man to the youngest child...No one would be allowed to escape.”

Gina hissed out a breath between sharp fangs, eyes wide.

“Only one person has ever escaped the fury of the Navy’s Buster Call.” The pinkette noted, solemn. “And they used the memory of that day to force her into compliance.”

No words were said then, everyone aboard Rocketman absorbing the enormity of this revelation, before Luffy raised his head, eyes glinting.

“What are we going to do, Kari?”

A slow smile curled across her face then, sharp-edged with fangs, and Zoro smirked as his blood began to rush in excitement.

“Kurama.”

The kitsune-Spirit appeared in a flash of light, bearing a stack of papers in his dexterous paws that she accepted graciously, spreading them across a nearby crate for the Straw Hats, Galley-La foremen, and Franky Family to gather around.

“A few of my Spirits have had key-holders stationed at Enies Lobby, so I had them write up blueprints of the buildings and a map.” She explained, spreading the largest to reveal a full view of the judicial island. “There are two gates, the main gate right at the shoreline and a second about halfway through the main island, past a natural land-bridge. On the other end is the courthouse, which has a drawbridge that’s the only entrance to the Tower of Justice. That’s where CP9 will be.”

“So first, we have to get through those two gates and the courthouse to reach Robin.” Nami deduced, and the pinkette nodded.

“Enies Lobby leads to Marine Headquarters and Impel Down through the Gates of Justice, so it’s an important stronghold for them. They always have ten thousand government agents and marines stationed here, to discourage any attacks.”

“So charging in blindly would probably end with us surrounded.” Sanji noted.

“I have a plan to clear out the first two gates, with the Galley-La foremen and Franky Family. Leave it to me and Usopp.”

“Yeah, leave it to-WHAT?!”

“We’ll go ahead on the Franky Family’s attached ship, it should only take us ten minutes to clear a landing area for Rocketman. You all wait here.”

“Yeah, leave it to us!” Zambai agreed, Lulu nodding.

“Don’t waste your time on riffraff, we’ll take care of them.”

Most of the Straw Hats nodded, but Zoro huffed in amusement at the too-serious motion of Luffy bobbing along, mouth pursed in that way he had when not actually listening at all.

With a sigh, Hikari grabbed those rubbery cheeks and forced eye contact, most of their crew-mates wisely scrambling back.

“Monkey D Luffy...Once we’re close enough, you go right to the courthouse. We’ll meet you there, okay?”

The Paramecia lit up, grin feral and pleased, while jaws dropped all around.

“Hikari-hime!”

“What about the plan?!”

“Is that really okay?!”

“Did you really think Luffy would follow a plan even if I ordered him to?” The key-holder pointed out, Luffy snuggling into her cleavage like a sated cat, mumbling how she made the best plans and was the smartest person ever, much to Zoro’s amusement. “I accounted for him just running ahead. Enies Lobby has quantity, but they don’t have quality. There’s only one thing I want all of you to remember.”

The Straw Hats straightened at her fierce look, Luffy going quiet to listen.

“If you come across Blueno, you put him six feet under with extreme prejudice.”

“Blueno?” Usopp echoed, frowning. “Why Blueno?”

“Because he has the Door-Door Fruit.” She explained sternly, smacking him upside the head. “And he knows Air Door. What do you think he’ll do if they suspect we’re getting close to saving Robin?”

Gina growled, fingers flexing into claws.

“He’ll use his fucking Fruit to take her right to the Gates of Justice.”

“So we take him down.” Nami agreed, slamming her Perfect Clima-Tact into the floorboards.

“Hikari-hime is so brilliant!” Sanji swooned, noodling around the car like a tornado of hearts. “Every plan she makes is flawless!”

“Sun!”

Everyone turned at Sora’s excited shout, the Sky Dragon smiling back with half-flared wings and twitching feline ears.

“Sun! Sun!”

“The sun?” Nami parroted, moving to join her. “Oh, the sun! But it’s the middle of the night!”

“The sun never sets in Enies Lobby.” Paulie noted, cracking his knuckles.

“Which is perfect for us.” Hikari hummed, grabbing up a stammering Usopp on her way towards the Franky Family’s boat. “Come on, we’ve got a job to do.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the hundreds of years since its creation, Enies Lobby had never been attacked.

As a stronghold of the World Government that guarded the entrance not only to Navy Headquarters but the hellish prison Impel Down, no one had ever been foolish enough to invade.

Even with the return of CP9 and their important prisoners, the men that milled about the main gate had no worries about anyone coming to attempt a rescue.

Who would be stupid enough to come to the Gates of Justice?

More than one man paused, blinking owlishly, at a faint cheer and a form flying overhead onto the gate’s roof.

That was their only warning.

The stairs exploded in a plume of grit and debris, throwing agents and marines alike like ragdolls, and their comrades went horribly pale as large gold-silver wings spread from within, red slits flashing within golden eyes.

“It’s Dragon Princess Dragneel!”

“That must have been Straw Hat!”

The guards paled further seeing Sodom and Gomorrah easily ram through the iron fence, battle cries echoing from their crew as Momoo roared.

“Y-You’re trespassing on Government property!” One of the men blurted, straightening as Usopp appeared on the sea-cow's head, Kabuto loaded and ready to fire. “Identify yourselves and state your business!”

“Hello, gentlemen.” Hikari greeted, calm and utterly unruffled with so many shaky rifles leveled her way. “I’m Dragneel Hikari, co-First Mate, tactician and saboteur of the Straw Hat Pirates. With me is our sniper, Usopp, and a few concerned citizens that would prefer to show their displeasure without being named.”

Quite a few of the agents trembled at the host of bloodthirsty smiles aimed their way as some of the Franky Family worked quickly to transfer their King Bulls and Momoo onto treads.

“We’re here because the World Government decided to steal one of our crew, Nico Robin, from us. So, in response to that, we’re here to break open Enies Lobby like an egg, raze it to the ground, tear apart every last member of CP9 with extreme prejudice, retrieve our archaeologist, and be on our way.”

Usopp’s knees knocked in sympathetic nerves with those poor marines, more than one of whom looked ready to faint, as Momoo lowered his head to let the sniper off next to Hikari.

“My suggestion for you? Bring out your best now.”

The pinkette smiled, like a Sea King that had come across adorable tidbits of snacks.

“Because whoever stands in our way will be returning to the World Government in _body bags_.”

...

Usopp sweat-dropped seeing them suddenly turn tail and run, shouting for what sounded like Oimo and Kashi.

“Neh, Kari, you can be really scary…”

“Good.” She replied, pleased. “After all, they’re doing exactly what I want.”

Paulie’s eyes widened when the ground shook once, twice, Kiwi and Mozu drawing their swords.

“You like giants, right Usopp?”

The sharpshooter opened his mouth-

And kept opening it as large shadows fell over them, jaw hitting the ground when two giants vaulted the walls to stand before them.

“Oimo and Kashi, I presume?” Hikari greeted, and both paused in surprise, the brunette giant shouldering his axe to scratch under his helmet.

“You know us, little lady?”

“Of course, you were part of the Giant Warrior Pirates.” She replied easily, and Usopp frowned, the name ringing a faint bell in the back of his mind. “What are you two doing at Enies Lobby? Proud warrior pirates of Elbaf wouldn’t work for the government without a good reason.”

“Ah, well…” The other murmured, swinging his club in an almost shy gesture. “You see…It’s our bosses…”

“Your bosses?” Usopp echoed, curious, nearly jumping out of his skin when the giants sat heavily on the steps above them.

“Yeah, our bosses, the leaders of the Giant Warrior Pirates. You see, a hundred years ago, we _were_ pirates, running amok all over the world…”

“Until one day, on some island here in Paradise, our bosses each killed monster-sized Sea Kings and we were celebrating.” Kashi continued, leaning his axe against the wall as confused marines and government agents peeked out to see what was going on. “And this little girl asked who caught the biggest one.”

“They couldn’t stop arguing on who did, so they started a duel. It’s a battle in which they put their pride on the line. It can’t be helped.”

“There was a volcano that’s eruption signaled the start, and we had to leave, heading back to Elbaf.”

“Wait…” Usopp breathed, eyes going wide as his mind connected the dots.

“It was a life-or-death battle between warriors. At the very least, the winner was supposed to come back to the village, but even after several decades, neither of them came back.” Oimo remembered, tearing up.

“After fifty years, me and Oimo thought something was wrong, so we tried to go back and see what happened.” Kashi explained, patting his comrade on the shoulder. “But on our way, we got caught by the Navy and they made us tell them everything. Then, in return, we were told a shocking story.”

“They said our bosses, who were very strong, were confined in the government’s large prison!” Oimo blubbered, grabbing a tissue big enough for a King Bull to use as a blanket to blow his nose as Usopp sputtered.

“That was about fifty years ago. The government said if me and Oimo worked for them for a hundred years, protecting the gates of Enies Lobby, they’d release our bosses and let us all go home to Elbaf. Since a giant’s lifespan is three hundred years, we thought a hundred was nothing, so we accepted their conditions and have been fighting for the past fifty years…”

“H-Hey!”

The sudden shout drew their attention down to Usopp, who was almost trembling with the pent-up emotions in his chest.

“Your bosses, are they Dorry and Broggy?!”

Oimo and Kashi straightened in surprise, unaware of the panic suddenly spreading through the marines behind them, one squeaking when a whip of star-studded water encircled his neck before swinging him into the gate, portable Transponder Snail safely silent.

“And the island you left them on, that was the prehistoric Little Garden, right?!”

“How do you know that?!” Kashi demanded, lurching to his feet.

“Because we met them there!” Usopp replied, fear fading away as Hikari watched proudly. “Two great warriors of Elbaf, fighting an evenly-matched duel for the past hundred years! On our journey here, we ended up on Little Garden and met them!”

“WHAT!?!”

Zambai yelped, nearly toppling over when Kashi and Oimo dropped to their knees, faces suddenly close enough that Hikari could see their reflections in massive pupils.

“YOU’D BETTER NOT BE LYING!!!”

“IF YOU ARE, WE’LL CRUSH YOU!!!”

“I’M NOT LYING!!!” Usopp screamed back, all of his fear gone. “I CAN PROVE IT! ASK ME WHATEVER YOU WANT! ABOUT THEIR WEAPONS! THEIR TECHNIQUES! ABOUT HOW THEY LAUGHED! I KNOW IT ALL! WE REALLY MET THEM! I SWORE TO MYSELF TO LOOK UP TO THEM AS MY MASTERS AND BECOME A MAN OF GREAT PRIDE LIKE THEM SOMEDAY! IT’S A BIG FAT LIE THAT THEY GOT CAUGHT FIFTY YEARS AGO!”

Tears filled the giants’ eyes, which fell when Usopp mimicked their boss’ unique laughter, Paulie watching in amazement.

“Our bosses are alive…”

“Our bosses are safe…”

“W-Wait! Oimo, Kashi, it’s a trick!”

The poor agent froze like a mouse in the gaze of a python at Hikari's glare, only shaking harder when the giants turned his way, but managed to muster up a voice.

“We really do have Dorry the Blue Ogre and Broggy the Red Ogre in custody! They’re definitely lying!”

A loud CLICK caused all eyes to turn towards the pinkette, who smiled back as Eisaku turned his speaker towards the giants, tail stiff and trembling.

“ _Hello?_ ”

“ _Kari! It’s been a while since you last called!_ ”

That marine went very quiet and very pale as Kashi and Oimo nearly collapsed in tears.

“BOSS!”

“IT’S YOU!”

“ _Is that Kashi?!_ ”

“ _And Oimo!_ ” Dorry realized, gleeful.

“You’ve been calling them?” Usopp realized, surprised, and Hikari shrugged.

“I’ve kept in contact with almost everyone we’ve come across in our journey. Kaya’s doing well in her studies, by the way.”

“ _It’s been so long, boys!_ ” Dorry boomed. “ _How’s the crew?_ ”

“Ah, well…” Kashi muttered, deflating.

“The crew split up.” Oimo admitted. “After you guys didn’t come back…”

“ _Ah…_ ”

“ _It would be selfish to think the world would wait for us a hundred years._ ” Broggy reasoned. “ _What about you two? Last we heard from Kari, the Straw Hats had left Long Ring Long Island._ ”

“Bosses…”

“We…”

Kashi and Oimo straightened, speaking together.

“We’re at Enies Lobby.”

“... _What._ ”

“The Navy said they had captured you and put you in Impel Down.” Kashi explained, Oimo tearing up again.

“We promised to guard the gates of Enies Lobby for a hundred years so they would let you go! We doubted your strength! We’re sorry!”

“So sorry!”

“ _...Kari._ ”

Dorry’s voice was very serious then, and even the Galley-La foremen and Franky Family straightened up like soldiers at his tone.

“ _Why are you at Enies Lobby?_ ”

“Because the World Government threatened our crew with a Buster Call, and Robin sacrificed herself in a misguided attempt to save us.” Hikari answered evenly, gold eyes sharp on the trembling guards. “We’re here to get her back.”

“ _...Well, then there’s only one thing to do, Broggy._ ”

“ _There’s no other choice._ ” Broggy agreed, voice rising from Eisaku’s speaker like a whip-crack. “ _OIMO! KASHI!_ ”

“SIRS!” The giants replied immediately, snapping up into salutes.

“ _FROM THIS MOMENT ON, THE STRAW HAT PIRATES ARE OFFICIALLY ALLIES OF THE GIANT WARRIOR PIRATES!_ ”

“ _YOUR ORDERS ARE TO SUPPORT THE STRAW HAT PIRATES AND HELP THEM RESCUE THEIR CREW-MATE!_ ”

“ ** _DO WE MAKE OURSELVES CLEAR_** _!?!_ ”

“YES, CAPTAINS!” Kashi and Oimo boomed, the Puffing Tom trembling on its tracks.

“ _Elbaf be with you, Straw Hats._ ”

“And with you, captains.” Hikari replied, the connection ending with a pronounced CLICK. “Now…”

The giant pirates perked up at her smile, all fangs and carefully-honed fury.

“All that’s left is to make a statement.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestial Spirits are, by nature, not beings that are easily explained by the natural laws of this world.

Limitations that might be put on normal animals or people were simply _not there_ for them, and Sengoku had learned young that allowing even a silver-key Spirit to properly bond with a key-holder could cause untold headaches.

Fighters they were not, half the time, but whatever a Spirit did, they _specialized_ in, and with enough strength...

So when his Transponder Snail suddenly roused, waking up as it had not so long ago to reveal the hidden history of Skypiea, Sengoku already felt a pressure building behind his eyes.

This only worsened when his Transponder Snail morphed to project a screen, and the Fleet Admiral was already reaching for a bottle of rum before the picture even materialized.

Dragneel Hikari was going to give him a brain aneurysm one of these days, he was sure of it.

Wasn't it bad enough Eisaku the Chameleon could project a signal across all of Paradise, now he had unlocked the ability to manipulate Transponder Snails?

The image solidified, and he froze.

A pretty young woman smiled, profile highlighted by a mass of unruly pink curls, skin bronzed from long exposure to the sun and gold flashing in dark eyes.

 _No_...

“ _Hello, everyone._ ” She greeted, voice almost a purr, every inch a dragon that had cornered foolish prey. “ _You're all in for a treat. Tonight, the Straw Hat Pirates are going to show the world what happens when you threaten one of ours._ "

Eisaku's focus swung away, and Sengoku choked, nearly toppling his carefully-laid piles of paper over in shock at the sight of _very familiar_ gates and two _very familiar_ giants.

“ _I’m sure many of you recognize this place, but for those in the dark; these are the main gates to Enies Lobby, and our new friends, Oimo and Kashi, who were tricked into guarding it for the last fifty years._ ”

“GARP!” Sengoku barked, horrified gaze riveted to the video feed. “GET YOUR ASS IN HERE _NOW_!”

“ _We’re here because the World Government decided to threaten our crew with a Buster Call, and took our crew-mate Nico Robin in exchange for our protection instead. They plan to torture her for knowledge on the Poneglyphs in order to revive the ancient weapons, and then kill her once she’s no longer of use to them._ ”

“TSURU! DAMN IT, GET IN HERE!”

“ _So we came to Enies Lobby to get her back. But you see, I don’t think that’s good enough. I want to...send a message._ ”

Sengoku heard men scrambling about in a panic outside his office, but was focused on the reptilian gold eyes that seemed to bore into his soul.

“ _Because there’s a couple of universal truths that you should always remember. Never harm the nakama of the future Pirate King...and never touch the treasure of a dragon._ ”

Her smile was sharp as a blade.

“ _So we’re going to show the world exactly what happens when you fuck with the Straw Hat Pirates. Kashi, Oimo?_ ”

“ _WITH PLEASURE!_ ”

And Sengoku watched, stunned with rage, as they smashed the gates open for the entire world to see.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You’re _insane_.” Paulie decided, ropes snapping out to throw some screaming guards into the side of a building.

“You’re such a charmer.” Hikari drawled, Eisaku giggling as her Asteria Bolt smashed into a charging agent’s face. “Do you talk to all the girls like that, or am I special?”

“Y-You-”

A Gunpowder Star knocked out a marine trying to sneak up on the shipwright’s left, and he grumbled before flashing Usopp a thumbs-up where the sniper was perched on Kashi’s shoulder.

“ _Kari’s a good insane!_ ” He argued through their earpieces, firing off more shots like a machine-gun as Momoo led Sodom and Gomorrah in a charge through the screaming opposition. “ _She knew Captain Usopp the Sniper King was the only one who could convince these proud warriors of our cause!_ ”

“Or I could’ve let Luffy Rocket us over the gates.” She drawled, Fleur D'Étoiles whipping out to catch a pair of unsuspecting marines and swing them through the men trying to crowd Tilestone and Mizu. “Trust me, you wouldn’t have liked that.”

“ _You wouldn’t!_ ”

“ _Hey, it would’ve been fun!_ ” Luffy whined over the connection, and Zambai cackled at the immediate response from the Straw Hats.

“ ** _NO WAY_** _!_ ”

“I love you guys!” Oimo cheered, swinging his club through a gaggle of marines trying to jump onto Sodom’s left flank.

“We haven’t had this much fun in a century!” Kashi agreed, careful not to jostle his cargo while cutting another swath through their opponents.

“We aim to please.” Hikari teased, Lulu’s mouth quirking into a smile when half his opponents went down with a distinct SNAP.

Apparently, two Straw Hats, three Galley-La foremen, sixty members of the Franky Family, two King Bulls and a sea-cow were more than enough to plow through the initial defenses of Enies Lobby.

Who knew?

“Hey, can’t everyone hear what’s going on through your Spirit?” Kiwi wondered, blocking a naginata and maneuvering her sword down the staff to take down her attacker.

“Eisaku has the ability to block certain areas from his signal.” The pinkette explained, leg coming up to knock a concussed marine into four of his unsuspecting comrades. “And also filter out certain sounds. Not only are none of the Transponder Snails on this island getting the signal, but our voices won’t come through unless we want them to.”

“Yup.” Said Spirit drawled proudly, tail flicking as the second gate came into view.

“Second verse, just like the first.” She snickered, glowing bright enough that more than a few of the defenders were blinded. “Celestial Dragon’s Cannon!”

Men screamed while others watched in horror as the attack blew open the heavy, once-impenetrable doors with ease, a cheer rising from the Franky Family.

“LET’S GO!”

Those on the other side cried out in terror when Momoo burst through the remaining stone with a war-cry, fellow invaders swarming in around him as Sodom and Gomorrah followed his example, Kashi and Oimo laughing uproariously as they vaulted the wall.

“ _We’re coming in._ ” Zoro warned, and a pair of marines fell smoking to the ground from her crackling Asteria Bolts before Hikari hummed in response.

“Got it. Everyone, clear the gate!”

Blinking in confusion, Kashi and Oimo shared a glance before moving to either side, wondering what-

Jaws dropped at the sight of a great metal sea-train suddenly flying over the gargantuan barrier, whistle blaring shrilly as it came crashing down nose-first into the swarm of stunned marines that had thought they were actually running the invaders off.

“ _Oh thank god I wasn’t on that thing…_ ” Usopp muttered, knees audibly knocking as Rocketman skidded down the main thoroughfare for a few more yards before coming to a stop with a shriek of tortured metal among crushed cobblestones.

There was a long silence as both sides took in that rather spectacular entrance, marines and agents edging closer to see…

“Hey, what’s that?”

“Clouds?”

“What are-?”

“Thunderbolt Tempo!”

Tilestone’s jaw dropped like an anchor as the entire crowd was struck down by tongues of lightning, those who managed to scramble away being sliced down or kicked into the ground before a twister of wind sent the fallen bodies scattering like autumn leaves.

“I give that landing an eleven out of ten.” Gina decided, snickering at how tightly Chopper and Lassoo were clinging to her back. “Fun and useful!”

“We need to give you a new definition of ‘fun’.” Nami scolded, reconnecting her Perfect Clima-Tact with a twirl as Sanji lit a cigarette.

“Don’t get too excited. We still have a long way to go.”

“ _Perfect_.” Gina purred, cracking her knuckles at the sight of mounted troops racing their way from the north.

“ _Mom_ …” Chopper whined, taking on his Heavy Point to shoulder a gun-form Lassoo.

“Ah, there’re the watchdogs.” Hikari noted, stepping up as Zoro sheathed Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu to pop a kiss to his cheek. “I was wondering when they’d try sending out the big guns. Eisaku?”

“My pleasure, hime.” The chameleon-Spirit replied, body turning to face his speaker towards the incoming wolves as their earpieces hummed out a new signal-

Momoo tilted his head, mooing curiously, when the vicious beasts suddenly yelped and tripped over their own paws, unseating their riders as they writhed and lashed out in futile attempts to stop the sudden pain.

Paulie’s cigar fell from lax lips as the beasts, driven mad by this unknown attack, turned on their startled riders with a fury, and the invaders watched in bemusement as these ‘elite forces’ were chased into the distance with high-pitched screams and bloodthirsty howls.

“...I wanted to cut them.” Zoro muttered, clicking Wado back into its sheath, and Hikari rolled her eyes while patting his shoulder.

“You’ll get to cut plenty of people in a second. Don’t be a baby.”

Gesturing for the shipwrights and Franky Family to come closer, the pinkette jerked a thumb down the main road to where a large building towered in the distance.

“All of you, take Momoo, Sodom and Gomorrah down this street straight towards the courthouse. Kashi, Oimo, you two go with them.” She ordered, waiting for them all to nod as Usopp was carefully lowered to join his crew. “The rest of us are splitting up to go around on either side to take out any trench mortars and as many grunts as get in our way. Zoro, you’re with Nami, Usopp and me. Sanji, you’re taking Gina, Chopper and Sora. We’re all meeting up at the courthouse. Got it?”

The Straw Hats nod, expressions set in stone, and she smiled.

“Good. Let’s go make them regret pissing us off.”


	32. Enies Lobby Arc: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone!
> 
> Here's the next part of Enies Lobby! YAY!
> 
> This arc is just pouring out, there's so much emotion and awesomeness that I can't stop typing. This is a real turning point for this story, things are going to go even more differently from now on and changes are just gonna keep coming. Hopefully, you all like them!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

To call what was happening in Enies Lobby ‘utter chaos’ would be like saying that Vice Admiral Garp was ‘somewhat eccentric’.

Sentries and guards with miniature Transponder Snails could barely get a word into their reports before being suddenly cut off, trench mortars were missing or fell apart before even being loaded, and the forces that managed to come upon the intruders roaring through the main city were broken through like ocean swells before the bow of a grand ship, mown through by either a large sea-cow or two irate King Bulls, the remnants left at the mercy of a small army and two vengeful giants.

Panic mounted when squadrons began to stumble upon unconscious Jurymen, their heavy ball-and-chains sliced or blasted apart while the men themselves were bloodied and bruised, left where they had tried to sneak up on the attackers.

What unity the defenders may have had was long broken by Straw Hat Luffy’s rampage, and this thorough assault only made circumstances worse.

Just as planned.

“This is it, huh?” Zoro noted, sheathing Wado as Sodom and Gomorrah wheeled around to block any following marines from entering this final courtyard, tails swinging.

“Yup.” Hikari agreed, popping the last letter. “That’s the courthouse. Looks like Luffy’s already here.”

Dust sprouted from the rooftop overhead, cracks forming in the stone, and Usopp yelped at the suddenness.

“Dad’s having all the real fun.” Gina complained, chewing on a section of chain as Sora skipped ahead of her to embrace their mother.

“Well, it could be worse.” Chopper reasoned, Lassoo yipping from where he was sprawled across the currently-larger Zoan’s shoulders. “He could have _all_ the fun.”

“...True.”

“Hikari-hime!” Sanji sang, noodling past them as Nami rolled her eyes. “Nami-san! I took down all those brutes on our side!”

“At least their weapons were tasty…” The Iron Dragon grumbled, breaking off another link with sharp fangs.

“What now?” Paulie wondered, stepping away from where Zambai was giving instructions to the Franky Family on what routes to block.

“You see those towers?” Hikari wondered, pointing up to either side of this imposing stone building, Mozu and Kiwi nodding. “Kokoro-san told me that each of them has a switch to bring down a drawbridge that connects the main island to the Tower of Justice. They're probably heavily guarded, so we’ll leave that to you while we go clear the inside and join Luffy at the top. Hunker down here, we’ll take care of the rest. You too, Yokozuna!”

The large frog ribbited back an affirmative, and Momoo turned from where he was blocking one of the three large streets connected to their current position, mooing worriedly.

“You take care of these guys and make sure they get off the island, okay?”

The sea-cow cooed, leaning down to gently nudge Hikari with his nose before bellowing to Sodom and Gomorrah, who roared back in agreement.

“Sentimental fools.” Kilala voiced, a hint of fondness in her voice as she padded around the Straw Hats in her nekomata form. “No need to worry about them.”

Eyes glowing, she snapped blue will-o-wisps off each tail, Nami squeaking when one touched the fallen body of a marine and it jolted up like a marionette, face slack and every movement jerkily unnatural.

“Whoa…” Lulu breathed, watching as each flicker of fire brought another still body back into motion, stepping zombie-like past the stunned Franky Family and their King Bulls to be met with horrified screams.

“...That’s one way to keep them out.” Sanji admitted, and Zambai shook himself.

“Come to think of it, how are we going to open these huge-?”

Jaws dropped all around to see a good portion of the door suddenly sliced away, Zoro glancing back with Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu in hand.

“Get a move on!”

“That man has the patience of a crack-high squirrel.” Hikari drawled, grabbing a stammering Usopp and shell-shocked Nami by the shoulders. “Mozu, Kiwi, split up to clear each tower. Paulie, Zambai, hold the line here until we clear the main floor.”

Salutes were snapped, and Sanji noodled after his crewmates, leaving a trail of hearts in his wake.

“Hikari-hime’s so beautiful when she’s bossy!”

“You worry me, man.” Gina deadpanned, Sora peeking over Kilala’s head from where she was now perched on the nekomata’s back.

“Maybe exposure therapy would be helpful?” Chopper mused, Lassoo settling on one shoulder in gun-form as they passed inside to see a host of terrified marines and agents.

“If he hasn’t been exposed enough already…”

“Hello, Baskerville.” Hikari greeted, the Straw Hats pausing to blink up at the three-headed semi-giant standing behind the nervous crowd. “We’re here to file a motion.”

The defenders’ went bug-eyed when her Fleur D’Etoiles wrapped around each arm, all three heads jittering at a strong pulse of lightning before falling backward in a smoking heap.

“Glad you see things our way.” She teased, the men paling as Chopper leveled his fellow Zoan on them.

“Get out of our way! Cherry Blossom Barrage!”

“Iron Dragon’s Lance: Demon Logs!”

“Sky Dragon’s Wave Wind!”

Zoro quirked a brow at the downed men, sheathing Sandai Kitetsu to pat Sora’s head so the young dragon chirped.

“Good job.”

“Those were the main forces.” Eisaku noted, tail swaying left and then right. “There are pockets of more men on the upper levels. Should we avoid them?”

“And leave them to try ambushing our friends from behind?” Hikari disapproved, spinning an Asteria Bolt, and Sanji twirled forward.

“I’ll take care of them, Hikari-hime!”

“...Does he have an off switch?” Gina wondered, Lassoo shrugging from a confused Chopper’s shoulders.

“No.” Nami answered on a sigh, gesturing with her Perfect Clima-Tact as the cook unleashed a tornado of destructive kicks on the startled agents that tried coming down the stairs. “I tried to find one with my Thunderbolt Tempo. _Twice_.”

“Should we help him?” Usopp wondered, wringing the staff of his Kabuto, and Hikari quirked a brow at the sudden hellfire that came from Sanji’s direction.

“THE FURY OF MY LOVE WILL CLEAR THE WAY FOR HIKARI-HIME AND NAMI-SAN! DON’T YOU DARE INTERFERE!”

“...I really need to have a talk with him about this.”

“Leave it to me.” Zoro decided, securing Wado’s hilt between his teeth and stepping forward while unsheathing Sandai Kitetsu. “We just have to go straight up, right?”

“Yeah, what-?”

“Tatsu Maki!”

Usopp shrieked, clinging to Hikari’s back as a destructive vortex bore through the ceiling like a drill, stone cracking open and falling apart as the structure gave way overhead.

“Iron Tempo!”

Chopper blinked from where he was squished against Sora under Gina’s torso, both peeking out to see a barrier of iron-clouds shucking the debris safely aside before forming into a man-sized fist to punch Zoro on the head.

“Are you _insane_?!”

Paulie and Zambai watching safely from behind the main door as Hikari lifted a raging Nami into her arms, patting the navigator’s back as she cursed and sobbed about how reckless their crewmates are while Zoro blinked starbursts out of his eyes.

“I know, I know, but it’s over now…” The pinkette soothed, firing off a Fleur D’Etoiles to smack Sanji upside the head before he could ‘accidentally’ kick the dizzy swordsman. “Okay?”

Sniffling, Nami nodded while recalling her iron-clouds, shoulders straightening.

“Okay.”

“Alright, then it’s time to go up. You guys are good down here?”

“Leave it to us!” Tilestone assured heartily, Paulie and Zambai nodding quickly as Yokozuna ribbited loudly.

“Hey, do I get to beat up any of these CP9 guys when we get over there?” Gina wondered, swinging up onto Kilala’s back and grabbing Usopp’s shoulder when he almost slid off following her example.

“NO.” Every adult Straw Hat answered immediately, Sora giggling into Chopper’s fur as the Brain Point Zoan settled in her arms with Lassoo.

“No fighting super-human assassins.” Hikari scolded, Zoro wrapping his arms around the key-holder’s waist as her wings flexed outward.

“Damn…” The Iron Dragon grumbled, Kilala picking their cook up by the jacket before he could try kicking Zoro’s head in. “Worth a shot…”

“Come on.” Nami ordered, rolling her eyes as her iron-clouds shifted into a platform beneath her feet. “Before Luffy brings the _rest_ of the roof down.”

With a nod, Hikari pushed off the cracked tile floor with a strong wingbeat, scales glowing to light the way up as Sora followed with a trill, Nami raising her iron-cloud-construct at a more careful speed.

“Hey, wait for us!” Usopp stammered, fingers curling tight into Kilala’s fur as the nekomata loped after them, flames flaring brighter on each paw.

Wings pulling in tight, Hikari spun to bleed off momentum once passing the rooftop, Sora giggling as she flipped onto a sound section of stone, Nami stepping primly off the little steps she made from iron-clouds, eyes rolling at Sanji being summarily dumped on his face while Gina helped a shaking Usopp dismount.

“Robin!”

Luffy’s shout drew all of their attention towards him, standing on a parapet and frowning up at the Tower of Justice where Robin stood on a balcony, wrists clearly restrained.

All seven members of CP9 stared back calmly, impeccably dressed in black suits and clearly unruffled from this unprecedented situation, though the same could hardly be said for their chief at the moment, given how wide his eyes had gotten amid the leather holding his face together.

“You can go ahead and say you wanna die or whatever…” Luffy continued, resolute, as Franky pulled himself up with a scowl. “But say those things by our side!”

“He’s right, Robin-chan!” Sanji called, forgetting his indignities, and Chopper grew into his Heavy Point, Lassoo howling on his shoulders.

“Robin! Come back!”

“Robin-oba!” Sora trilled, ears pricked forward and wings flapping excitedly. “Robin-oba, come home?”

Even from that distance, Hikari could see the tears that their archaeologist tried so hard to hold back, her own gaze sliding over each of their crewmates.

A calmness settled over them then, and the crew moved as one without a need for words, joining their captain on the raised parapets to face CP9 together.

Iron-clouds hanging over her shoulders like a cloak, Nami tapped her Perfect Clima-Tact pointedly against green tile, dragon-iron shining in the light of Kilala’s flames as she circled around, pronounced canines bared in a snarl.

At ease, Zoro rested a forearm on the hilts of his swords as the nekomata prowled between them while Sora scowled up at the Tower of Justice with expansive wings mantled like a bird of prey, feather-scales rattling ominously.

Opposite them, on Luffy’s left, Gina cracked her knuckles and grinned wide enough to put sharp fangs on full display, and Usopp planted the butt of his Kabuto between them, expression set in stone and only the faintest tremble in his knees.

Flicking open his lighter, Sanji calmly brought the little flame up to a fresh cigarette as Chopper straightened to his full Heavy Point height, snorting like a bull while Lassoo stood on his shoulders, bristling from head to tail.

Hikari stepped up to join their captain, Eisaku’s focus scrolling in on the balcony overhead, and the Paramecia nodded.

“You stupid pirates!” Spandam screamed, clearly rattled and growing fervent in his desperate belief. “Get it in your heads that putting on a brave front doesn’t change anything! You’re up against the power of the assassin group CP9 and the weight of the Gates of Justice that can’t be opened by human strength! And above all things, right now, I have the authority to exercise Buster Call by using this Golden Transponder Snail!”

Robin froze, horror clear in her eyes, and Sora hissed at the clear glee on Spandam’s face when he noticed.

“That’s right! It’s the power that wiped out your hometown exactly twenty years ago, Nico Robin! I remember that the following year, the name ‘Ohara’ had been wiped off of the map!”

“Don’t!” She choked out, growing frantic. “Not that!”

The horrible man _giggled_ , and Kalifa felt sweat slide down her spine as the eternal day noticeably dimmed.

“I like that reaction! It gives me a chill! What? Does it mean that you want me to press this button to activate Buster Call? Hm? Does it?”

“Do you really understand what’ll happen when you press it?” Robin shot back, unable to help the tremble in her bones, and Chopper grit his teeth.

“I do. It’ll eliminate the possibility of the pirates escaping from this island! Just with this single button! It’s that simple!”

“It won’t be that simple!” The archaeologist argued, and the iron-clouds around Nami’s shoulders visibly shuddered, roiling.

“Are you remembering something?” Spandam taunted, clearly enjoying his power over her in that moment. “If you like, shall I try pressing it? Right here, right now?”

“What’re you doing?!” She burst, fear and frustration too much to contain. “Stop it!”

“...You sure talk cocky, don’t you?” Spandam noted darkly, and Usopp felt his heart rumble with the growl that escaped Gina at his tone.

“...You said that ‘Ohara’ had been wiped off the map.” Robin managed, the memories bubbling up. “Can you see humans on a map?! Because you guys see the world that way, you can do such a cruel thing! Buster Calls are a heartless power that even makes you lose sight of your goal! You mustn’t use it! Not that! Never!”

“ _Robin._ ”

Spandam shrieked, nearly toppling off the balcony railing, and all eyes snapped to a startled Franky as one of his ears morphed into a speaker.

The only one who did not was Robin, who was caught in the dark, scarred eyes staring back at her from the courthouse as Hikari spoke through the cyborg again.

“ _Tell them._ ”

And the supposed Devil Child of Ohara did.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sengoku was convinced that he was suffering some sort of apoplectic attack, and the Straw Hats had not been on Enies Lobby for more than an _hour_.

“Sir, the Kidd Pirates are on a rampage through the Votsea Keys!”

“We just got word from Captain Calvert that the On Air Pirates have taken down another Navy galleon by Wrentmagne!”

“Red-Haired Shanks is tearing through the New World!”

“G-2 is being raided by the Bonney Pirates!”

“The Fallen Monk Pirates and the Drake Pirates are razing everything south of Easton to the ground!”

“We just got word that the Hawkins Pirates are leading Moria on a chase across the Florian Triangle! He won’t listen to reason!”

“Sir, the Whitebeard Pirates are going on a rampage!”

“Big Mom is having a fit! The Beautiful Pirates seem to have cut off a supply ship of hers!”

“I-It seems that the Fire Tank Pirates managed to infiltrate the Diamond Reserve, sir…”

“The Heart Pirates were sighted at G-3! There’s no word from the forces there!”

But Sengoku was focused on the video feed, watching with growing dread as the truth of Ohara was revealed for the entire world to hear, from Jaguar D Saul freeing Nico Olvia to the moment Kuzan froze the giant solid amid a Buster Call, an evacuation ship burning out on the water under Sakazuki's orders.

Already, reports were coming in of revolts among the giants in his ranks and general unrest, and he tried to massage the headache away, slumped over his desk.

What forces that might have been mustered to stop the Straw Hats were now caught up in trying to wrangle the other Supernova, calm three out of four Emperors, and now suppress what was essentially a mutiny within the Navy.

Without a doubt, the Straw Hats were going to be the death of him.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“If you exercise a Buster Call right here, right now, then together with Enies Lobby...you guys, too, will disappear.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Spandam sputtered at this soft declaration, almost flailing. “There’s no way we’d be eliminated by our own people’s attack! What’re you saying?!”

“Twenty years ago, everything was taken away from me, and many people’s lives were ruined…” Robin voiced, collapsed to her knees with the weight of such sorrow, and Luffy’s knuckles went white. “It was caused by a single attack. Buster Call. That attack is now…”

Watery blue eyes turned to the crew that had come so far for her already.

“Targeted on the friends that I was finally able to find, whom I can be myself with. The more I wish to be with you, the more my fate will show its fangs to you! No matter how far I go on the sea, I have a huge enemy that I can’t shake off, because the world and its darkness are my enemy! The incident with Aokiji, as well as this time...I’ve already dragged you in my troubles twice! If this continues forever, even though you guys’re good-natured, you’ll eventually feel that I’m a burden!”

Lurching to her feet, Robin seemed to steel herself.

“I’m sure you’ll betray me one day and abandon me! That’s what I’m most afraid of! That’s why I didn’t want you to come rescue me! If I’m going to die someday anyway, I want to die right here, right now!”

Hikari took in a measured breath, heart squeezed tight in her chest-

And Spandam _laughed_.

“I see! That indeed _is_ a sound argument! No one is stupid enough to think that having you isn’t a burden!” He taunted, and Kaku swallowed almost imperceptibly at a flux in the light as their chief pointed up towards a lone flag waving atop the Tower of Justice. “Look at that symbol, you damn pirates! That logo indicates the unity of over a hundred-and-seventy member countries spanning the four seas and the Grand Line! This is the world! Do you now realize how completely powerless you guys are to fight against it?! Do you realize how huge of an organization this woman has been pursued by?!”

“...I now understand well the identity of Robin’s enemy.” Luffy replied, furiously calm. “Everyone.”

All eyes turned to him, expectant.

“Shoot through that flag.”

Spandam went pale as a ghost at the inhuman grins that filled their faces.

“A Hundred And Eight Pound Phoenix…” Zoro intoned, placing Wado between his teeth and taking a stance with Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu.

“Iron Thunderbolt Tempo.” Nami hissed, spinning swamp-clouds out of her Perfect Clima-Tact and turning the iron-clouds around her shoulders into a localized thunderstorm.

“Aperitif.” Sanji declared, raising his leg like one might cock the hammer of a gun.

“Firebird Star.” Usopp voiced, pulling back a pellet in his Kabuto with steady hands.

“Cherry Blossom Blast.” Chopper decided, hefting a gun-form Lassoo onto his shoulder and leveling it on their target.

“Hellfire Stream.” Kilala growled, blue flames licking from between parted jaws.

“Celestial Dragon’s…” Hikari stated calmly, wings flexing outward as she breathed in.

“Iron Dragon’s…” Gina echoed, piercings flashing in the dimmed light while inhaling deeply.

“Sky Dragon’s…” Sora agreed, pigtails rustling as a heavy wind rushed into her lungs.

And together, the Straw Hats declared war on the world.

“ ** _ROAR_**!!!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In that moment, the entire world went quiet.

All eyes were glued to the screens projected by every Transponder Snail, watching as that flag disintegrated into little more than smoke.

The wool had been lifted from their eyes, revealing a world that was not so black and white, not so fair and just, as they had believed only an hour before.

Now, the only question was what any of them would do about it.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robin could only stare as the last wisps of smoke floated away on a breeze, stunned to her core at the realization of what they had done.

“Are you insane?!” Spandam panicked, breaking the silence. “Don’t think that you’ll be able to survive after making the entire world your enemy!”

Luffy glared back, voice booming across the chasm.

“ ** _BRING IT ON_**!!!”

Spandam quailed, a true coward at heart, as tears filled Robin’s eyes.

“We still haven’t heard you say it!” The Straw Hat Captain shouted, fixed on her with an unshakeable determination. “SAY YOU WANT TO LIVE!”

For the first time in twenty years, Robin allowed herself to truly wish.

“I WANT TO LIVE!” She screamed, in defiance of the entire world, tears streaming down her face. “TAKE ME TO THE SEA WITH YOU!”

And the Straw Hats grinned back.

“ _Of course, Robin._ ” Hikari assured, heard even over Franky’s blubbering. “ _There’s nowhere we’d rather you be than with us._ ”

Spandam appeared to evacuate his bowels, holding out his hands in a futile stalling gesture.

“No! Stay over there!”

“ _Don’t worry, Spandam._ ” The key-holder purred, Franky getting control of his tears as ice was poured down the pathetic man’s spine. “ _Once I get a hold of you, you won’t have to worry about whether we’re here or there. In fact, you won’t have to worry about anything for the rest of your **very short** life._”

…

“I’m gonna head to the Gates of Justice.” Spandam squeaked out, grabbing Robin by the arm. “Someone, bring Cutty Flam and the blueprints!”

Only to remember that he had broken free already and was staring him down, no trace of tears or a smile on the cyborg’s face as he held up a sheaf of papers.

Even from that distance, Hikari could tell the material was aged, having darkened to a more ashen gold with time and handling, and Spandam nearly choked.

“Hey, don’t tell me...those are the ancient weapon Pluton’s blueprints!”

“They’re the real deal.” Franky confirmed, a smirk forming as he flipped through the first pages slowly. “Do you believe me? Lucci, Kaku, you guy can tell, right?”

“I thought it was unlikely…” Kaku admitted after a few moments. “So you were hiding them inside your body, huh?”

“The real ones?!” Spandam sputtered, shaking with excitement. “Are those the real ones?! Hand them over! Hand them over to me! Those are my long-sought blueprints!”

Jabra saw the shift in Gina’s stance from below, one hand already encased in iron scales, and Usopp palming another pellet, watching.

“Nico Robin.” The cyborg began, ignoring him. “Rumors are such unreliable things, aren’t they? While we were being brought to this damn place, I came to realize that you aren’t the evil who’s trying to misuse the weapon. Now, I know no one in Ohara was. How to build the weapon isn’t what the Water Seven’s shipwright’s have been inheriting for generations in the first place. Hey, Spanda…”

Kilala snickered at this mispronunciation, flames licking out of her maw as they all ignored said man’s demands.

“What Tom-san and Iceberg risked their lives to protect is the wish of this weapon’s architect. That is, if the ancient weapon fell into the hands of an idiot like you and started being used to cause trouble, he would want another weapon to be built in order to stop it. It’s true that if you use Nico Robin, you can revive the ancient weapon. Even if she doesn’t want to help you, as long as there’s a chance that she could be used, she’s still dangerous.”

His gaze turned then to the Straw Hats below.

“But she’s got friends who would be willing to risk their lives to protect her. So I’ll take a chance. I can think of only one way that I could uphold the architect’s wish in this situation.”

“Just shut up and hand them over to me already!” Spandam ordered, as if none of his words had registered. “Those are mine!”

Instead, Franky turned to blueprints in his hand and blew out a stream of fire to catch the pages alight.

“Did he just…?” Nami breathed, a bit caught off-guard by this sudden turn of events, and Gina snickered.

“He bet on us, huh?”

“You bastard!” The chief of Cipher Pol Nine wailed, dropping to his knees in a vain attempt to catch the ashes. “What’re you doing?! Ah! It’s burned black! Damnit! I’m gonna kill you!”

“The blueprints were kept in order to create a weapon to fight back.” Franky reminded him. “And you, the Government, came after them a second time. Essentially, something like this should remain a secret, and so once it’s revealed, it has to be eliminated. Now, there’s no longer power to fight back against the ancient weapon. If nothing is done and Nico Robin falls into your hands, it’ll be hopeless. But if the Straw Hats win...there won’t be anything left to you at all. I made a bet on their victory.”

Shouts came from the courthouse below, drawing Franky’s attention around to see his subordinates in the doorway there, hanging out of windows in the tower, all shouting his name.

“Big Bro Franky!”

“You’re okay!”

“Bro, we came to rescue you!”

“Sodom and Gomorrah are here, too, in the courtyard!”

“Are you hurt?!”

“Let’s go back together!”

Hikari smiled at the way he visibly teared up, dramatic as ever but heartfelt.

“You guys...Who asked you to come rescue me?! You idiots! Bastards! I’m not crying!”

Sora barked sharply, eyes eagle-silver and wide.

“NO-”

Just as Spandam shoved the distracted cyborg right off the balcony.

“Let’s go!” Luffy ordered, grabbing onto Hikari’s shoulders as Nami created a platform of iron-cloud for Gina and Usopp to hop on, Kilala roaring a battle-cry as Zoro, Sanji and Chopper leaped onto her back.

Franky grunted when a weight slammed into his back, eyes going wide as Sora twisted to fully catch his weight with spread wings and a smile.

“Hi!”

Spandam’s jaw cracked the stone balcony as Hikari and Luffy sped ahead of them, starlight shining as rubber arms stretched.

“Gum Gum-”

“Celestial Dragon’s-”

“STORM!”

And the Tower of Justice broke open for the whole world to see.


	33. Enies Lobby Arc: Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Okay, so I know I said this would be the chapter where they all fought CP9...But then I couldn't help but think about how Mayor Boodle and Chouchou, Nojiko and Genzo, Crocus and Laboon, and everyone else the Straw Hats met would react to seeing them boldly declare war on the World Government after learning about Ohara and what nearly happened to Water Seven. Not that I didn't set up the CP9 fights, but there's a reason this one is coming out so fast...and that's extreme guilt.
> 
> Sorry! Next one will be super badass, I promise!  
> DragonPrincess18

Sengoku was convinced that every pirate on the Grand Line was entering what could only be labeled a  _ pissing contest _ . 

From Reverse Mountain to the furthest reaches of the New World, there was nothing short of  _ mayhem _ from anyone who flew a skull-and-crossbones, and revolutions were sprouting like weeds from allied countries so rapidly that, even at full strength, the Navy would have no men to spare for Enies Lobby and this unprecedented,  _ infuriating _ assault. 

To his growing frustration, however, the Navy was  _ not _ at full strength. 

Not only had  _ every last giant _ in their ranks effectively deserted by now, but nearly  _ half _ of their infantry forces were seconds from doing the same after some rather...unchecked responses from a few Vice Admirals in response to the chaos, on top of quite a lot of pushback from more than one person between Ensign and Vice Admiral who were appalled at the Absolute Justice that so many of their subordinates and ranking officers enforced, especially in light of Ohara’s revealed fate…

And the realization that this could not have been the only time such measures had been taken. 

Garp was not quite his exuberant self, Tsuru only glared whenever she came into his office to drop off reports, and the  _ damn snail just kept on going _ . 

This was  _ most definitely _ the Worst Generation.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Listening to his fellows bustle about, like a hive of agitated bees, Coby’s eyes were glued to the screens of his mentor’s Transponder Snail while feeling the bottom of his stomach drop out. 

All he could think about was that moment back in Shells Town, running into that dusty courtyard as Hikari worked to untie Zoro from his cross, aware that an unjust execution was coming at any moment. 

“ **_ I want to be an honorable marine! And I can’t stand to see the Navy like this! _ ** ” 

_ But how can I be an honorable marine _ , he wondered numbly, _when_ this _is what being a marine is?_

Helmeppo was equally frozen, visor sitting useless in his lap, and their eyes met in a moment of clarity. 

_ How can we call ourselves upholders of justice if we don’t try to change it? _

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The people of Orange Town cheered, waterfalls of tears falling down their faces as Chouchou howled encouragement, Transponder Snails merging their screens so everyone could see. 

“Give ‘em hell, Straw Hat!” Mayor Boodle roared, remembering all too well the strange boy and his small crew that had liberated them from Buggy the Clown. “Save your nakama!” 

“GO, STRAW HAT, GO!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I can’t believe they would do that!” Onion, Carrot and Pepper wailed, almost flooding Kaya’s parlor with their tears. “Captain Usopp won’t let them get away with it!” 

“Miss Kaya?” Merry worried, the faraway look on her face catching his attention immediately. 

“...Hikari-san told me that Usopp had gotten stronger.” 

Kaya paused, her hand drifting to the old slingshot that he had practiced with as a child, the wood worn and cracked from years of constant use. 

“He’s really...a brave warrior of the sea, now.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leaning heavily on his peg-leg, Zeff closed his eyes as the Straw Hats broke through into the Tower of Justice, braided moustache twitching to repress a smile. 

His little eggplant was already much stronger after only a few months on the Grand Line...

Tears poured out of the kitchen behind him, Patty and Carne blubbering noisily over how cool their former sous chef was in daring to challenge the World Government for a comrade. 

Customers murmured amongst themselves, horrified at the story of Ohara’s demise and this government agent that would so willingly threaten an island of innocent people, and Zeff nodded to himself, heading back into the kitchen. 

There was no need to watch when he already knew how things would end.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You should have expected something like this.” Nojiko pointed out, watching Genzo try to pick his jaw up off the street as all of Cocoyashi village crowded around the Transponder Snail. “Kari’s been keeping us updated for a while now on what they’ve been up to.” 

“Thwarting a coup against a country and  _ declaring war on the Government _ are two different things!” He argued, almost flailing. “What’re we gonna do?!” 

A cheer went up from the crowd, mugs of ale being passed out, and Nojiko smirked as she offered one to her distraught father-figure. 

“Enjoy the show.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tashigi was frozen in horror, mind seizing like an engine block without lubricant. 

Was that true? 

Had the Navy truly wiped out an entire island of innocent people for such a reason? 

Had they really framed an eight-year-old little girl for  _ possibly _ possessing knowledge that  _ might _ be detrimental to them? 

And now here they were, blackmailing her into effective suicide for that same knowledge by threatening a small pirate crew and  _ an allied country _ with that same destruction without even batting an eye… 

“Tashigi.” 

The swordswoman jolted out of her spiraling thoughts, blinking up at her superior as Smoker lit a third cigar, motions tight and controlled. 

“Get me those files.” 

“Sir?” She blurted, blinking owlishly in a great cloud of smoke. 

“Redacted or not, I want every file on every Buster Call the Navy has ever done.” He growled, knuckles going white over his jutte. “And I want that damn lizard’s number  _ yesterday _ .” 

Slowly brightening, Tashigi nodded and snapped a salute. 

“Yes, sir!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crocus smiled as a reverberating cry echoed off Reverse Mountain, Laboon rearing out of the water in a grand spray to proudly brandish the somewhat-misshapen Jolly Roger still painted on his scarred snout. 

“I knew those kids had it in them.” He noted proudly, holding up a mug of beer. “Just like you, Roger. Give ‘em hell, kids!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Princess Vivi, please!” 

“See reason!” 

“Karoo, not you, too!” 

“I can’t just sit here while they risk their lives!” Vivi retorted, grabbing her Peacock Slashers and a cloak. “Not after they risked their lives to help me! Even Nico Robin-She deserves a chance to live!” 

“Vivi, calm down.” Cobra pleaded, holding her shoulders to keep the teenager from storming out the door. “You won’t be able to even reach Enies Lobby within the week, let alone by morning. There’s nothing you can do by going to them now.” 

Vivi froze, mouth twisting into a scowl and eyes shimmering, and Igaram took in a breath at the steady stance she took then, head high and expression turning fierce. 

“Even after all this time...All the adventures they’ve gone on without me...I am still a Straw Hat! And they need me!” 

“...I understand.” 

Straightening, Cobra looked to his royal guard, stone-faced. 

“Prepare a ship for Water Seven, and inform the people I will be making a formal announcement come morning.” 

“Daddy?” Vivi wondered, some of her bluster fading in confusion. 

“I’m going to do what we should have long ago.” He replied, gaze drifting to the Transponder Snail still projecting the interior of the Tower of Justice. “And what I should have done when you told me who she really is.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cackling around a swig of wine, Kureha held the bottle up in a shared toast as the palace rang with glee, the entire island of Sakura Kingdom shouting encouragement to the Straw Hat Pirates who had helped save them not so long ago. 

“It makes you think, doesn’t it?” She noted to a thoughtful Dalton, grinning with pride at the sight of her thrice-adopted son standing tall next to such strong pirates. “What a Government we’re allied to, that would wipe out an entire island for knowing something they shouldn’t and condemn a child to a life fleeing death…” 

“...Yes, it does.” The Zoan agreed, expression stern. “If this is how they treat their allies...What’s the point of not fighting back?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Staring at the papers burning in his wastebasket, Iceberg replayed what he had heard over and over again in his mind, unable to banish the image of Tom on that fateful day. 

“Sir?” 

Gaze flicking up to the shipwright standing awkwardly in the doorway, he managed a smile as Tyrannosaurus chittered softly from his breast pocket. 

“Hello, Montaro. I need you to send a message to every dock of Galley-La, and the other businesses of Water Seven.” 

“Of course!” He agreed immediately, perking up at the thought of being useful in such an uncertain time. “What should I tell them, sir?” 

“Let them know that we’re severing contracts with the World Government and all their affiliates. From this moment on, we’re an independent nation along with Saint Poplar and San Faldo.” 

Iceberg shoved up from his desk, eyes landing on the screen where Franky had upheld the architect’s will by burning Pluton’s blueprints. 

“If this is how safe we are as their allies...Then we might as well be enemies.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trafalgar Law was not a man that was easily impressed. 

A lifetime of piracy had exposed him to the usual bravado and posturing, and the quick betrayal of their ideals once the Government came knocking on their doors. 

The weak always screamed the loudest before being silenced. 

But sitting in the office of this marine base, feet propped up on the desk as he watched the screen projected by his Transponder Snail, the Surgeon of Death could not help the seed of fascination that planted itself in his chest. 

These people dared bare their fangs at the world, and the world  _ trembled _ . 

Settling back as the quartered head of this base’s Rear Admiral tried to speak through a split mouth, he smirked as Bepo bustled back in, weighed down by a myriad of snacks from the mess hall and being tailed by Shachi and Penguin, who were arguing over how best to get a couple of kegs through the door. 

It was time to see if Straw Hat Luffy could pull off a miracle.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Landing hard, Franky wind-milled his arms in a fight for balance before steadying, glancing up when Sora popped over his head with a chirp. 

“Super!” 

The cyborg perked right up, striking his signature pose. 

“That’s right! SUPER!” 

“Damn, another one.” Nami muttered, Kilala trotting past her and dumping her passengers onto the stone floor with a shrug. 

“He’s not so bad.” Gina offered, gaze flicking up to a dark corner of the room. “Better than  _ that _ guy.” 

“Chapapapa…” 

“Fukurou.” Hikari noted, all eyes turning to an upper section of wall where the large, ball-shaped assassin was clinging. “Were you hoping to get beaten up first?” 

“Even if you go to the room you saw earlier, Nico Robin isn’t there anymore, since Lucci took her to the Gates of Justice.” Fukurou taunted, zipper-mouth grinning. “Oh, and our chief did, too.” 

“Oh, is that right?” Nami voiced, amused. “Thanks for giving us such valuable information!” 

“Chapapa...I spilled the beans…” 

“Why’s your mouth a zipper if you can’t keep it zipped?” Gina jeered, earning a frown. 

“Well, they’re headed there right now, but I won’t tell you how to get there, and we, CP9, won’t let you go there, either. We have an order to annihilate you guys. Unless you guys defeat us, you won’t be able to set Nico Robin free.” 

“You don’t have to tell us that.” Luffy retorted, frowning. “We’re gonna do it anyway.” 

“Chapapa, what a high-spirited guy...But let me tell you one more thing. Look at this!” 

Usopp tilted his head at the strange, yellowish key that was held out in the assassin’s hand. 

“A key?” 

“This is the key to unlock the Sea Prism Stone handcuffs on Nico Robin.” 

“Sea Prism Stone?” Franky voiced, and Hikari shook out her wings, gaze locked on Fukurou. 

“It’s a stone with the ability to cancel out Devil’s Fruit abilities.” 

“But only that.” Gina voiced, and Sanji smirked around his cigarette. 

“Even if you guys can rescue Nico Robin by some chance, since Sea Prism Stone is hard like diamonds, the handcuffs will be on her forever.” Fukurou taunted, waving his key. “If that’s okay, keep on going to rescue Nico Robin! Chapapapa!” 

The assassin blurred moments before a rubbery fist, a flying slash, or a dragon-iron-edged Fleur D’Etoiles could impact his face, reappearing a few yards away. 

“Don’t be so hasty. I didn’t say that this is the right key.” 

“WHAT!?!” 

“It might be for different handcuffs.” Fukurou sing-songed, spinning lazily among the debris. “Chapapa! There are five CP9 members, including me, in this tower. Each one has a key and is waiting for you.” 

“Then, until we defeat you all, get all the keys, and try them on Robin’s handcuffs, we won’t know which one is the right key?!” Zoro grunted, thoroughly annoyed, and Hikari rubbed at her forehead with a sigh. 

“Buying time?” Sanji realized, frowning. “While we’re fighting, you guys are trying to take Robin-chan to the Gates of Justice, aren’t you?!” 

“That’s right! I spilled the beans again…” 

“And you won’t let us get to her first.” The pinkette deduced, nearly giving Nami whiplash. “If we try to get Robin and then worry about the keys, you all will just take the opportunity to toss them into the abyss.” 

“Yup! Chapapa!” Fukurou agreed, Usopp flailing in upset. “We’re giving you a chance. See ya.” 

The rotund assassin Shaved out of there before an iron-cloud fist came down on his head, Nami hissing with outrage as his laughter quickly faded away. 

“Is this a game to them?!” 

“It doesn’t matter.” Hikari voiced firmly, calming her crew’s frustrations. “We need to take them down either way. Eisaku?” 

Jaws dropped when the chameleon-Spirit gave himself a shake and just...split in half once, twice, until there were eight small Eisaku’s all along the key-holder’s arm. 

“Each of us are going to take one of them along to keep in contact and maneuver through the tower.” Hikari explained, holding out her arm so the little chameleons leaped to hide in pockets and jackets or on shoulders with Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Franky and Gina. “Zoro, you already have a score to settle with Kaku, so I’ll leave him to you.” 

The swordsman grinned, grip tight on Wado’s hilt. 

“Gina, make sure he actually gets to Kaku and doesn’t get lost.” 

“OI!” 

The Iron Dragon cackled, nearly toppling over at her pop’s affronted glare. 

“Got it, mom!” 

“I’ll take Jabra.” Hikari continued, mouth quirking into a smile. “Sanji, you’re going to fight Kumadori. Big guy, wears kabuki makeup, can’t miss him.” 

“Of course, Hikari-hime!” The cook agreed instantly, practically sprouting hearts. “I’ll kick him into a fine paste!” 

“Nami, I want you to fight Kalifa.” The pinkette continued, and the navigator almost jolted in surprise, eyes going wide. “Is that okay?” 

_ “ ** Don’t worry about Lily! He’s plenty strong enough to take care of guys like that, or Kari wouldn’t have sent him! ** _ ” 

“ **_ Honestly, what kind of person do you take me for? _ ** _ ” _

Straightening, Nami brushed away the heat building behind her eyes and nodded, grip tight on her Perfect Clima-Tact. 

“That’s fine. I’ll beat her, no problem!” 

“Then that leaves Fukurou to you, Franky.” 

Said cyborg struck a pose, clearly raring to go. 

“I’ll take SUPER care of him!” 

“Hey, wait…” Usopp muttered, counting out on his fingers. “That’s all of them except that pigeon guy!” 

“That’s because I need you at the top of the tower.” Hikari explained, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Spandam has a head start on us, so they might reach the Bridge of Hesitation before we can catch up. With you there, they have no chance of taking Robin through the Gates of Justice.” 

The sharpshooter’s lips trembled for a moment before he nodded vigorously, striking a dramatic pose in a vain attempt to hide his tears. 

“Of course! The great Captain Usopp, Sniper King, will make sure Robin doesn’t go through!” 

“Chopper, Sora, you go with him.” Hikari continued, patting Usopp on the back. “Stay together.” 

Luffy yelped when his head was suddenly stretched back around from where he was trying to sneak off, meeting the pinkette’s eyes with a frown. 

“ _ Kari _ …” 

“Rob Lucci is the strongest member in the entire history of CP9.” Hikari stated firmly, quieting the crew utterly. “He’s earned the title Massacre Weapon because he settled a hostage situation of five hundred people by  _ slaughtering the hostages _ . If he gets past you, he will kill me, Zoro, and every member of our crew without hesitation, and hunt Robin down to the ends of the earth without mercy.” 

Luffy was quiet, absorbing her words with uncharacteristic seriousness, and Zoro’s grip tightened on Wado’s hilt. 

“You’re the only one who can stop him.” She admitted, foreheads touching. “So you don’t give him an inch. You hit him, you  _ put him down _ . Because I’ll die before that spotted asshole touches anyone here.” 

Fire burned in his eyes, and Luffy yanked the key-holder into a fierce kiss, reeling a startled Zoro in for another. 

“No one’s dying.” The Straw Hat’s captain declared fiercely. “Now let’s go save Robin.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“WHERE ARE YOU, KUMADORI!?!” 

Sanji careened down the hallways at impressive speeds, little-Eisaku clinging desperately to his shoulder and squeaking out directions in his earpiece. 

“GIVE ME THAT KEY SO I CAN SAVE ROBIN-CHAN AND PROVE TO HIKARI-HIME AND NAMI-SAN THAT I’M A PRINCE!” 

Wedged tightly into an alcove, the large assassin blinked at a trail of fire and tiny little hearts, peeking out to watch his pursuer disappear around a corner. 

“Yoyoi...I’ll just...find someone else to fight…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Pop, Eisaku said to go _right_.” 

“This  _ is _ right!” 

“That’s  _ backwards _ !” 

Rolling her eyes, Gina grabbed her direction-challenged parent and dragged him the correct way rather than continue arguing. 

The Tower of Justice was a literal maze on top of a bureaucratic one, but their little Eisakus were using a version of echolocation to navigate them through, just like Hikari had promised. 

Now, if only Zoro could  _ walk in a straight line _ . 

“Pop, we’re trying to go  _ up _ .” 

“I’m going up!” 

“No, you’re not!” 

The little-Eisaku on her shoulder pointed at their destination, and Kaku blinked as the door to his study was kicked off the hinges. 

“ _ Finally _ .” Zoro voiced, smirking. “Gina, go join up with Usopp.” 

“I do all the work of getting us here, and I don’t even get to watch you kick his ass?!” 

“ _ Go _ .” 

Scowling, Gina grumbled as she turned away, purposely stomping back out of the room with plenty of help from her heavy combat boots. 

“Kids…” Zoro muttered, placing Wado between his teeth to face his opponent. “You have the key to Robin’s handcuffs, right? Want to give it to me before I take you down?” 

“That’s a foolish question.” Kaku replied, two sheathed swords leaning on the arms of his chair. “I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see your real ability at the Galley-La mansion. I never thought that pirates would come this far, either, so....” 

“That’s what happens when you run away.” 

Kaku stood gracefully, weapons in hand, to face him. 

“My swordsmanship is the best in CP9. Don’t underestimate me.” 

Zoro smirked around Wado’s hilt, blood humming. 

“Bring it on.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Careful.” 

Nami paused in front of the wide double doors, grip tightening on her Perfect Clima-Tact at her little-Eisaku’s warning. 

“I heard earlier that Kalifa and Kaku both ate Devil’s Fruits since returning from their mission.” He elaborated, curling over her ear like a fancy ear-cuff. “Even a new user can be dangerous, especially with her original abilities. Don’t go rushing in.” 

Nodding, Nami spun out a fist of iron-clouds, expression set. 

“Of course not.” 

BAM!

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ah, that hits the spot!” Franky cheered, closing his abs on three fresh bottles of cola before flashing thumbs-up at the tiny chameleon-Spirit on his shoulder. “Thanks for the help there! Now, where’s that butterball?” 

Tail straight, swaying back and forth like a metronome, Eisaku pointed to the doorway just as a shadow appeared. 

“There.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stepping into an indoor zen garden, Hikari glanced around at the twittering birds and waterfalls with a quirked brow before focusing on the lounging form of Jabra, apparently sleeping on the grass with a bottle of sake and a key. 

“...Really?” 

A breeze rustled the vegetation, and the assassin yelped when a rock smacked into the back of his head, scrambling upright with a sputtering glare. 

“What the-?!” 

“If you’re going to set a trap, make sure your target will actually spring it.” 

Jabra’s jaw dropped to see the pinkette still standing by the door, his key held up pointedly in one hand, and she smirked. 

“Now let’s see if you can take it back.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Yoyoi!” 

Trembling from head to toe, Usopp readied his Kabuto with steady hands as the large, pink-haired assassin struck a dramatic pose, the rings on his staff chiming. 

“Now, now! Prepare yourself!” Kumadori declared, and Sora snarled back, wings flexed wide to block the sniper from view and fill the hallway, as Chopper hefted a gun-form Lassoo onto his shoulder. “Are you ready?!” 

“Keep going, long-nose.” Kilala ordered, blue hellfire blazing from her lashing tails. 

“I can’t just leave you!” Usopp protested immediately, and the nekomata growled to quiet him. 

“Did you not listen? If you are held up here, then they may cross the bridge unimpeded and make all of our efforts worthless.” 

“Usopp-oji,  _ go _ .” Sora growled, silver eyes flashing. “Save Robin-oba.” 

“We’ll join you once we get his key.” Chopper agreed, and Kilala hissed lowly, scorch marks appearing on the stone floor. “We’re pirates, too! So don’t worry about us!” 

The sniper frowned, mouth falling open- 

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style-!” 

Kumadori jolted, staff whipping up to block a pair of blades before they sliced through his torso. 

“Karmic Cross!” 

“Gina!” Usopp squeaked out, eyes bugging out, as said Iron Dragon leaped back from the stalemate. 

“Couldn’t face Sanji, could you?” She rumbled, light gleaming off the sharp edges of her sword-arms. “Too bad. Now you’re stuck with us. Usopp, keep moving! We’ve got this!” 

Lips quivering, the sharpshooter nodded at a soft prompt from his little-Eisaku. 

“ **_ We all do what we can…A sniper is strongest from a distance, like a swordsman is best in close quarters. There’s nothing for you to be ashamed of. _ ** ” 

“Don’t you dare die.” He ordered, knees locking. “All of us are getting off this island! Got it?!” 

Gina smiled over a shoulder as Kumadori caught his balance, staff spinning. 

“We’ve got this, Sniper King. Now go save our archaeologist.”


	34. Enies Lobby Arc: Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> And here we have a few of the CP9 fights! Plus a few more reactions, for all of you who pointed out a couple were missing last chapter. There are still more, don't worry. After all, we still have more fights to go!
> 
> I also got a wonderful commission done by AinemsWork (artists&clients) for Hikari that I put up on Tumblr (https://dragonprincess18.tumblr.com/post/619901532662611968/heres-a-commission-done-by-the-amazing) that I hope you all like!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

“ _Sanji_.”

The cook came to a screeching, smoking halt immediately at Hikari’s voice through his earpiece.

“Hikari-hime! Do you need your prince to sweep you off your feet?!”

“ _...I really need to have a talk with you and Leo about this shit._ ” The key-holder muttered, aware even without looking that her crew-mate was too woman-crazed to register those words. “ _Change of plans. Help Franky take down Fukurou._ ”

“Of course!” He immediately agreed, pausing mid-step after whirling around. “But, ah, what about Kumadori, Hikari-hime?”

“ _I have it under good authority that he’s being taken care of._ ” She grumbled, clearly annoyed. “ _And once they’re done with him, they’re grounded for a_ year _._ ”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kumadori was a man of discipline.

Years of the assassin’s life had been dedicated to rigorous training and meditation, gaining control of every cell of his body, until even the tips of his hair were alive with sensation.

Kumadori was convinced there was no one outside of CP9 who could match him.

“Cherry Blossom Barrage!”

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Demonic Damascene!”

Until now.

Staff spinning, he managed to block each swing of bladed arms while using Hair Bind to bat aside the incoming projectiles, dancing away from the resulting explosions and a gust of wind that tore open a sleeve of his suit.

“Damn, this bastard’s fast…” Gina growled, kicking down what remained of a wall to distract the assassin as Kilala circled around, embers sputtering between bared fangs.

“I can’t get a good shot at him.” Chopper agreed, hefting Lassoo higher on his shoulder when Sora landed between them. “And when I do, his hair knocks them away!”

“Fucking Life Return bullshit…” The older dragon hissed, watching as their opponent took that silly stance again, dramatic as ever.

“Yoyoyoi! For children, you three are impressive! But playtime is over now! Hair Bind!” 

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Star Storm!”

Chopper yelped when the hair compressed, only a handful of locks being lopped away by Gina’s blades, and aimed at a stationary Kumadori immediately as Kilala roared forward.

“Cherry Blossom Haze!”

The assassin sputtered when all his Iron Body did was cause the glass sphere to shatter on contact, spilling a roiling cloud of floral pink smoke that ignited furiously into a purple blaze from a single spark of Kilala’s flames.

“Sky Dragon’s Crushing Fang!”

And the entire conflagration was sent down the hallway in a rush, Kumadori gagging and sputtering as he was sent flying with it.

“Shit, his hair’s like steel.” The Iron Dragon grunted, steam misting off her scales-

The flames warped, flickering harshly at a sudden inrush of air, and Gina roared when a red-hot length of steel slammed into her chest with all the force of a runaway Rocketman, scales cracking and bending inward as she went flying like a bullet from transferred momentum.

“GI-CHAN!”

Chopper choked at a sudden grip around his neck, dropping Lassoo before being whipped through the nearest wall, the dog-Zoan taking on his hybrid form midfall to spit out explosive baseballs before being slammed into the floor with a cut-off yelp.

“Sky Dragon’s Wing Attack!”

“Lion Kebab!”

Sora shrieked when the red-hot tip speared into her shoulder, wings flaring wide, and Kumadori, with a strangled sound one might hear from a frightened frog before it was snatched up by a falcon, was plowed through a pile of debris by a truly frightening mass of flaming fur, claws and fangs.

Iron dented and glowing with residual heat over her sternum, shirt torn and smoldering, Gina wheezed around a deep breath, biting back a growl as her scales slowly bent back into shape with the expansion of her lungs.

“Fuck…”

Jumping to climb onto the dragon’s ear, little-Eisaku tugged hard on a dangling chain, and she sat up with a string of curses, blinking some blurriness away.

“Finger Gun: Cue!”

Kilala barely avoided being stabbed through a foreleg, lurching back with a roar as Kumadori blurred in close-

“Seventy-Two Pound Raven!”

Pulling back to avoid being slashed open, the assassin danced across uneven debris, staff spinning and ringing as Chopper scrambled up, gasping around a bruised throat.

“So-chan! Lassoo!” He coughed, reaching into his jacket for a kit while Gina stumbled up to them, fangs bared at the burn that Sora was curling around with a high whine.

“Mother _fucker_ …”

“It’s not too bad.” Chopper assured, quickly and efficiently pulling aside the soft Aries-wool that had kept her from being pierced through to smear a burn cream over the injured skin and cover it with gauze as Lassoo stumbled upright with a hiccup. “It hurts, but you’ll be okay, So-chan.”

“She had better be.” Kilala snarled, circling around as Kumadori seemed to act through a dramatic scene. “Or I’ll learn what his blood tastes like as I rip out his throat.”

“Don’t go hogging him.” Gina rumbled, claws sharpening against each other with a scrape of metal on metal.

“But what are we gonna do?” The Zoan wondered, running a hand down Lassoo’s back before hefting him back on a shoulder.

“Beat the shit out of him.”

“I’m asking how we’re supposed to do that!”

“Fuck if I know! Bastard’s too fast for me to slice him up!”

Both immediately froze when Sora sat up, tears clinging to her lashes but managing to smile as she placed a hand on each of their chests.

“Help.”

A shudder went down their spines at a sudden rush of glowing air that came on her inhale, braided pigtails fluttering.

“Sky Dragon’s Enchantment: VERNIER!”

“Yoyoi!” Kumadori shouted, slamming his staff down on unscorched stone. “The time for games is over! Shave!”

Blurring across the decimated hallway, he brought his staff forward in a sharp thrust at Chopper’s chest-

“Finger Pistol: Cue!”

Only to blink when his target was suddenly _gone_ , stabbing a clean hole through a piece of debris instead of the Zoan’s heart.

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Fractured Fury!”

Kumadori blocked the first swing a hair’s breadth from his throat, the next coming mere seconds after aimed for his knee, his belly, his back-

It suddenly took all of his speed to keep up, sweat forming as sparks flew from clashing metal, before a large figure suddenly appeared.

“Heavy Cannon!”

And the full weight of a gun-form dog-Zoan traveling at a very impressive speed smashed Kumadori right in the face.

“Sky Dragon’s Claw!”

Then a veritable _tornado_ came down on his head, crushing the assassin _into_ the floor, as a roar followed.

“Hellfire Stream!”

Shaving as fast as he ever had in his life, Kumadori narrowly avoided being charbroiled, staff ringing sharply with the sudden stop while he looked over the three children with new seriousness.

“Alright, this is pretty awesome.” Gina decided, mouth curling in a grin that promised mayhem.

“That was SO COOL!” Chopper cheered, stars in his eyes as a dizzy hybrid Lassoo clung to his head. “I went WHOOSH! And then you went ZOOM! And then-”

The entire tower quaked, seeming to slide beneath their feet, and Kilala yowled in surprise while Sora giggled, wings flared wide.

“BAM!”

“Shit!” Gina cursed, grabbing Sora’s arm to keep her from toppling as Kumadori hopped on one foot for balance. “What the fuck was that? It’s like the tower’s been sliced in half!”

“We have two swordsmen dueling somewhere in this building, and you’re wondering what could have caused it to be cut in half?” Kilala drawled, stance wide and fur standing on-end. “I’m surprised this didn’t happen sooner.”

“...Good point.”

“Yoyoi, you three are true warriors!” Kumadori declared, striking a pose. “So I will get rid of you as true warriors deserve!”

Chopper tightened his grip on a growling Lassoo when the assassin’s hair compressed into a dozen pointing hands.

“Gi-chan, So-chan.”

One of the Sky Dragon’s ears twitched his way, and Gina hummed gleefully at their brother’s next words.

“Combo Three, on my count.”

Both dragons nodded, tensing as those hair-hands lunged.

“Lion Finger Gun!”

“Sky Dragon’s First Sky Arrow!”

Kumadori was forced to divert some of his locks to block the tight cyclone of wind careening towards his face, eye catching on a sudden motion from Chopper.

“Cherry Blossom Blast!”

Skittering off Gina’s scales like spear-points, his hair-hands immediately moved to bat aside-

Glass?

Chopper smirked as the sphere cracked open, contents breaking free in a spray as he bit into a Rumble Ball.

“Cherry Blossom Mirage: Sticky Sap.”

Kumadori practically _squealed_ when a pink, gummy liquid matted his hair-hands, his attempts to shake the substance off only spreading it further and causing some to smack together in chaotic knots.

The assassin then paled like a ghost to suddenly find two dragons and an Arm Point Zoan within his guard, their grins all fang.

“Cloven Roseo-”

“Iron Dragon’s-”

“Sky Dragon’s-”

“BARRAGE!”

In a split second, their fists had impacted five, ten, twenty, _forty_ times with explosive force, and they watched Kumadori topple like a felled tree, face practically caved in.

“...Is he unconscious?” Chopper wondered, Lasso taking on his animal form with perked ears as Kilala plodded closer.

Kicking gently at a spindly leg, Gina cocked her head before nodding, pleased.

“Out like a light.”

“So we...won?”

“That’s usually what it means, yes.” The nekomata noted, and Lassoo howled triumphantly when Chopper lit up.

“We won! We did it!”

Gina yelped at suddenly being scooped up off her feet, Sora giggling as she was swung along for the ride, their feet barely missing Kilala’s face.

“We won! We won!”

“That’s great, Chop, now put us down! We still gotta get his key!”

“Oh, right!”

“Key, Chop-ani! Key!”

“There you are.”

Gina looked up from where she was starting to root through Kumadori’s pockets, quirking a pierced brow as Sanji sauntered up, cigarette glowing cherry-red for a moment as his little-Eisaku waved from a shoulder, Franky grinning in his wake.

“You three did a SUPER job!”

“Hikari-hime’s going to have your hides for this, you know.” The cook noted, apparently ignoring the cyborg as he lifted a giggling Sora up for a victory pose.

“And what’s she gonna say about you letting him get past you?” The Iron Dragon drawled, and Chopper sighed at the immediate puddle of bawling Sanji that resulted.

“Gi-chan…”

“Hey, if I’m gonna suffer, I’m spreading the pain.”

“Okay?” Sora wondered, poking at Franky’s cheek where some blood had smeared from his metal nose, and the cyborg laughed while propping her on a shoulder.

“Don’t worry, kid! That bouncy ball only got one good punch in! All it took was a couple of kicks and my Strong Hammer to take him out! Looks like you had a harder time with this guy!”

“Why would you-My sweet little mochi!” Sanji wailed, scooping up the confused Sky Dragon to fuss over her bandaged shoulder like a mother hen. “Who did this to you?! WAS IT HIM!?!”

“Sanji, don’t kick him until we find the key!” Chopper protested, picking the cook up in his Heavy Point before he could break the floor with Kumadori’s _face_.

“Got it.” Gina voiced amid their bickering, snickering at how Lassoo was pulling on Sanji’s pantleg in a vain attempt to hold him back while Kilala danced around the edges in case a giggling Sora fell. “Let ‘im rip.”

Chopper squeaked when he suddenly had an armful of Sky Dragon, Lassoo letting go with a yelp.

“MOUTON SHOT!”

The three Straw Hat Kids and Franky blinked as the floor caved in rather spectacularly, which landed on an equally-beaten Fukurou roughly four stories below.

“...That two-leg has a few deep-seated issues, but I rather appreciate the results.” Kilala decided as Sanji suddenly blurred back over, fretting over Gina’s burned shirt and the bruise already blossoming over her sternum.

“My poor dango, are you hurt?! Can you breathe?! CHOPP-”

An iron-scaled hand slapped over his mouth.

“Oi, are you trying to let mom know what happened?! What she doesn’t know won’t get me in trouble!”

“Uh, who do you think told us to come get you?” Franky wondered, Gina and Chopper paling.

“...Fuck.”

“ _That’s what I thought._ ” Hikari agreed, the tone of her voice causing both to flinch, very much children that had been caught with an empty cookie jar and covered in the evidence. “ _Lucky for you, everyone’s alive, and we’re working on a timer. But this time, **actually follow my orders**._”

“Yes, mom.” They agreed quickly, Franky shuddering dramatically as if he was the target of that extremely potent Mom Voice.

“Of course, Hikari-hime!” Sanji crooned, noodling and almost burying himself in little pink hearts, Lassoo climbing up Chopper’s pants to avoid drowning as Kilala took on her cloud-cat form to perch safely on Sora’s shoulder. “Anything for you!”

Gina looked up at her brother, expression utterly deadpan.

“Seriously, is there any way we can get him into therapy?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sitting in the darkness of his cell, weighed down with Sea Prism Stone, Crocodile took in the projected screen in the distance with a smirk as all of Impel Down roared.

If nothing else, this whole fiasco at Enies Lobby proved his loss in Alabasta was not a fluke by rookie pirates. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wood gave way under his sandals, and Luffy skidded to a halt in a wide circular room full of crates and barrels, gaze immediately locking onto the calm, seated form of Rob Lucci.

Two-toed feet trembling, little-Eisaku clambered out of the ribbon on his straw hat, disappearing like a mirage amid the crates, and the Paramecia nodded slightly in agreement.

“I’m impressed, I’ll give you that.” Lucci admitted, standing gracefully. “I didn’t think you’d make it this far, much less alone.”

“I’m not alone.” Luffy replied, unmoved. “I couldn’t have done it alone, and I wouldn’t have wanted to.”

The Zoan tipped his head, mouth sliding almost imperceptibly into a frown, as the Straw Hat Captain wound up an arm.

“I won’t let you touch my crew! GUM GUM RIFLE!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ace was...conflicted.

While he was extremely, irrevocably proud of his baby brother for setting out to sea and already gathering such a skilled crew, and while he trusted that crew to take care of Luffy...

 _Fucking **Enies Lobby**_!?!

The Logia paced back and forth around the fire he had constructed on a sandy beach, glass shimmering where each angry step had fallen, torn.

Perhaps he could reach Enies Lobby in time to help them...

But that would be an insult to Luffy’s strength, on top of most likely ruining any chances he had of catching up with Blackbeard…

“Don’t you dare die.” Ace ordered, watching as the centermost screen exploded into motion. “Or I’ll bring you back to kill you myself.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nami was, above all things, a quick learner.

Spending roughly a decade as a solo thief meant picking up skills fast and being able to assess a situation instantly, lest she end up in a tight spot that was nearly impossible to get out of.

Now, as a pirate, those skills were proving as precious as gold.

Perfect Clima-Tact spinning, Nami shrouded herself in iron-clouds moments before a Tempest Kick could slice her in half, blocking out most of the rain falling in blinding sheets from the Rain Tempo cloaking the ceiling, slicking the tile and both combatants thoroughly.

A blur came in from the right, and she reacted quickly, iron-clouds spiking up in front of her face like Miss Doublefinger had back in Alubarna, forcing Kalifa to abort her Finger Pistol to keep from being impaled.

Circling around, the assassin frowned prettily, clearly calculating the best angle to take out her opponent.

Nami followed her every step, grip tightening on her Perfect Clima-Tact-

Both women squeaked when the tower shuddered underfoot, almost _sliding_ a few feet in a decidedly downward tilt, and she cursed rapidly while scrambling to find traction.

“Moonwalk!”

Spinning her weapon up on reflex to block a heeled boot, Nami slid under a slash of iron-cloud that forced Kalifa back, spinning gracefully.

“Tempest Kick!”

Iron-cloud came down in a dense wall to block the sharp slash of air, Perfect Clima-Tact easily coming apart with a deft twist.

“Shave!”

The assassin blinked to find empty air in the curls of dark cloud, faltering midair-

“Thunder Charge: Swing Arm!”

And Nami reappeared like a mirage from the left, weapon spinning to crack across Kalifa’s face.

The Thunder Ball discharged with a blinding flash, sending the recipient flying like a pellet from Usopp’s new Kabuto right into a wall, stone cracking deep from the impact.

Clicking her Perfect Clima-Tact back into default, the redhead smiled as iron-clouds rose behind her with tongues of lightning.

“Iron Thunderbolt Tempo!”

Stone shattered in a spray of debris, but Nami spun to block a Finger Pistol from impaling her neck, iron-clouds slamming up like a guillotine and only missing Kalifa by a hair’s breadth.

Once more, the assassin circled around, like a lioness would a gazelle...

And stepped right onto a dark patch of cloud.

Kalifa _shrieked_ when the wet mass slithered up to encase her entire leg, like a snake enveloping a foolish mouse, even a desperate Moonwalk unable to free her as it latched on around her hip.

“Swamp Tempo: Quagmire!”

The assassin fell back, already immobile from the waist down, clearly panicking and not knowing what to do.

“It’s funny, really…” Nami mused, iron-clouds hanging over her like a menacing, fanged beast and blocking the petering rain. “I thought you’d know better. Oldest trick in the book, right? Who suspects such a pretty girl of being a threat?”

The smile that filled her face had Kalifa paling, little-Eisaku hopping onto the navigator’s shoulder with a satisfied grin.

“I’ll even admit that it used to be true...but too much happened for me to stay weak. After all, I’m the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates.”

The clouds overhead went dark, no longer releasing rain, and the eerie darkness did little to make Nami look less foreboding, flashes of lightning from the maw hanging overhead throwing stark shadows across her face.

“And you should have listened to Kari-chan. Fucking with us was the worst mistake of your life. Iron Thunderbolt Tempo: Dragon’s Vengeance!”

And the room lit up like fireworks.

“NAMI-SAN!”

The redhead glanced up in surprise to see Sanji noodling across the room, hearts exploding off of him, and Franky whistled.

“That was a SUPER finish, sis!”

“Damn, Nami, that was brutal.” Gina agreed, whistling appreciatively at the smoking, cratered form of their navigator’s opponent. “You don’t fuck around.”

“Of course not.” She agreed, brushing off Sanji’s babbling praise. “How many have we dealt with?”

“Three.” The Iron Dragon answered, crouching to sniff a moment before digging the key out from a hidden pocket under a breast. “Mom and pop are dealing with the last two. She said to get you and head after Robin.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

“Of course, Nami-san! I’ll lead you to victory!”

“He’s definitely SUPER motivated…”

“Dude, don’t encourage him.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All eight arms whirling, Hatchan stared at the projecting Transponder Snail in amazement as his customers cheered and chattered amongst themselves, enthralled by what was happening.

Takoyaki 8 was full to bursting, people crowding close to watch as one, two, _three_ agents were taken down by the Straw Hat Pirates’ so-called ‘weaker’ members one after the other.

And there was Nami, so much stronger than he remembered and happier besides, standing against an enemy so much bigger than her with a smile.

Not for the first time, Hatchan felt a pang of guilt in his chest.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“ _Hi, everyone!_ ”

“ _Hi!_ ”

At this point, Sengoku was not convinced having the little Zoan and Sky Dragon talking was an improvement.

Already, there was a cascade of countries going revolutionary, or were in the middle of revolting, and what few forces the Navy might have had were scrambling to help World Nobles escape to Mary Geoise on top of everything else.

Young as they were, he doubted that whatever Chopper and Sora had to say was going to be pleasant.

“ _Mom told us to look around Spanda's office-_ "

" _Stupid Spanda!_ " The younger chirped, frowning cutely. " _Bad!_ "

" _Exactly, So-chan, so that's why mom had us take a look, and Kilala found this book!_ "

The various aides scurrying about froze in place, suddenly aware of a great pressure bearing down on their souls, as the Fleet Admiral took in said book with a dangerous calm.

Because the seemingly-innocuous cover, all in black leather, had a very telling title stitched in with silver thread.

Cipher Pol 9 Blackbook.

A blackbook...for a _clandestine group of elite assassins_.

A clandestine group of assassins that **_no one was ever supposed to even suspect existed_**.

"...I'm going to kill Spandam."

" _Mom said we can read it for you while we wait for her and pop to finish._ " Chopper continued, sitting against Usopp's leg in his Brain Point so Sora and Lassoo could bracket him in. " _Here's one! Operation Firecracker…_ "

And all of Marineford quaked.

" ** _GARP_**!!!"

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Standing in the main headquarters of Baltigo, Sabo was frozen.

Even as his comrades buzzed about, so excited over this direct defiance of the World Government and the chaos being wrought, the Chief of Staff felt like he was in a dream.

Because that face…

“Sabo-kun?”

Koala’s voice was distant in his ears, almost lost to the pounding of his heartbeat, because _that face_ …

“ ** _Did you guys know we can become brothers if we exchange this cup of sake?_** ”

“ ** _Brothers? Really?!_** ”

“ ** _When we become pirates, we might not be on the same ship, but our brotherhood will always be with us! Wherever you are, whatever you do, we’ll always be bonded together! So from now on, we’re brothers!_** ”

“ ** _YEAH!_** ”

Sabo’s knees buckled, deaf to the sudden shouts, because he _remembered_.

All those years that had been lost, the brothers he had loved, rushing back in like water behind a broken dam.

For a moment, he was so relieved...

And then he remembered exactly what had caused those memories to return.

“WHY IS MY BABY BROTHER IN **_ENIES LOBBY_**!?!”


	35. Enies Lobby Arc: Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> And there's more! Now it's Hikari and Zoro's turn to show CP9 why you don't mess with the Straw Hats! XP
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18
> 
> *there's a chapter note at the end, please read and follow the link!*

Quirking a brow at how Jabra had frozen in place, Hikari shared a glance with little-Eisaku while sliding the handcuff key into her cleavage. 

"You…" 

And suddenly, one of the most feared assassins in Cipher Pol 9 was a lovestruck puppy. 

"No wonder Lucci was so excited to hear you came! You're the prettiest prey we've had in forever!" 

"...Why does this always happen to me?" The pinkette wondered, shoulders slumping at the heart-eyes that appeared. 

"You wouldn't want a cold bastard like Lucci, anyway! I can show you a great time! How about breakfast? I know this little place in Pucci!" 

"I'm literally  _ invading your base of operations _ ." Hikari despaired, rubbing at the bridge of her nose to fight back a headache. "What part of that makes you think asking me out on a  _ date _ is a smart idea?" 

"What do I have to worry about?" Jabra replied, shrugging. "It's not as if you can beat me, pretty little thing like you." 

Little-Eisaku's eyes went wider than saucers, one tilting to take in the sudden stillness of his key-holder, as the room dimmed noticeably. 

"... _ What _ .” 

Luckily for Jabra, that was when the roof caved in. 

“Oh, shoot!” A talking  _ giraffe _ shouted as he tumbled down. “I was gonna stop the transformation when I reached my human-beast form, but I became a giraffe!” 

Jabra was already collapsing in a fit of hysterical laughter, but Hikari was jolted out of her surprise at a  _ very familiar _ face falling amid the rubble, all three swords drawn. 

“ZORO!?!” 

Cursing, the swordsman managed to sheathe Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri as a Fleur D’Etoiles whipped out, smacking aside a few larger pieces of debris before wrapping around his waist to yank Zoro into a softer landing against her braced frame. 

“What’re you doing here?” He demanded, grabbing Wado from between his teeth to scowl. 

“What am  _ I _ doing here? You’re the one who fell through the ceiling with a fucking  _ giraffe _ !” 

“That giraffe is the guy you told me to fight!” 

“WHAT?” 

Both turned to see Jabra laughing at his fellow Cipher Pol agent, and Kaku annoyingly biting back that he liked his Devil’s Fruit anyway, struggling up onto knobby legs to glare. 

“The Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Giraffe!” Jabra cackled, almost doubled over. “You poor guy! To think that you’ll be a giraffe-man for the rest of your life!” 

“What’s wrong with giraffes?! I said I like it!” 

Hikari blinked as the assassins devolved into a rather childish argument, turning to her boyfriend after a moment. 

“To be fair, I didn’t know he was a giraffe.” 

Zoro eyed the pinkette a moment. 

“Would you have told me if you did?” 

She paused, glancing back over to see a talking giraffe shouting at a giggling assassin. 

“Kari!” 

“I’m thinking!” 

Their little-Eisaku’s jolted at a sudden burst of static, Hikari wincing as rather dramatic sobbing came through her earpiece. 

“ _ K-K-Kari! _ ” 

“Usopp?” The key-holder realized, half-turning away while Zoro kept an eye on their bickering opponents. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” 

“ _ I’m sorry, Kari! _ ” Usopp blubbered back. “ _ But Kumadori got around Sanji somehow! The kids-They’re fighting him so I can get to the roof! _ ” 

Biting back a string of rather volatile swearing, she hissed in a deep breath, heart twisting just a bit tighter. 

Damn it, they were supposed to be safe with Usopp! 

_ The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry _ , Hikari reminded herself, releasing the tension on an exhale. 

Gina and Chopper were strong, enough to take down two of Eneru’s priests by themselves, and with Sora… 

“It’s okay, Usopp.” She assured him, resigned. “We’re Straw Hats, since when do our plans go off without a hitch? Just keep going, I’ll have Sanji catch up with them, okay?” 

Sniffling, the sniper agreed with her, and Hikari glanced over to see Kaku getting into Jabra’s face to demand he stop laughing before pressing her earpiece. 

“Sanji.” 

Zoro scowled at that, but she sent him a pointed look before relaying new orders to the cook, who seemed to eagerly accept them. 

“Anyone dying?” 

“No, but a few people are going to be  _ grounded _ .” Hikari replied, glaring. “I blame you and Luffy, by the way.” 

The swordsman opened his mouth to retort before pausing, brow knitting in thought. 

“...That’s fair.” 

“Hey, that’s right!” 

The pair blinked as Jabra suddenly cut off his own laughter to scowl, pointing accusingly at his coworker while literally  _ morphing _ , revealing a wolfish Zoan form to better match Kaku’s height. 

“Why didn’t you tell me she was gorgeous?!” 

“What part of that is relevant to the mission?!” 

“It’s relevant when Lucci tries to hog all the best prey!” 

Zoro’s expression went dangerously calm, fingers flexing around Wado’s hilt. 

“What.” 

“This is  _ just _ what I needed.” Hikari muttered, rubbing at a headache between her eyes. “Because I don’t have  _ enough _ stress in my life…” 

“OI!” 

The assassins turned from glaring at each other to see a demonically-angry Zoro, killing intent almost misting off his skin, and Hikari glancing upward as if asking a higher power for patience. 

“Back off our Kari, shitty wolf!” 

“Your-So you-And her-” Jabra sputtered, thrown, and the swordsman scowled. 

“She’s mine and Luffy’s, so keep your grubby paws off!” 

“...That shouldn’t make me feel all warm inside, but it does.” The pinkette mused, reluctantly fond, as Kaku snickered at his fellow’s expense. 

“Oh, yeah?!” Jabra snarled, puffing himself up to a rather impressive height. “Bring it on, shrimp! Once I’m done with you, I’ll just take her!” 

Kaku straightened with a clatter of hooves at the sudden reduction of light that followed, practically snapping into his hybrid form on instinct at the golden, reptilian glare suddenly leveled their way. 

“Excuse me?” 

Even Zoro froze at that frigid tone, which did nothing to ease the Zoan-swordsman’s nerves, and Jabra reared back in surprise. 

“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” Hikari hissed out, sparks of starlight slipping between bared fangs as she stalked forward. “Because if you think I’m just gonna stand here while you talk shit like that, you’re obviously really fucking new!” 

Now sure that none of that anger was directed his way, Zoro snickered at how the assassin backpedaled, clearly unsure of what was happening and why he was suddenly so intimidated by a woman barely even half his height. 

“Do I look like some sort of doll?! Some fucking toy you can just steal?! LOOK AT ME WHEN I’M TALKING TO YOU!” 

Kaku was unable to help a little cough of laughter from escaping at seeing his most boastful coworker being chastised like a child, snapping to attention when she turned on him next. 

“And you! If you weren’t a swordsman, I’d have ripped you a new asshole by now!” 

Zoro was outright cackling at this point, and she turned with a scowl, annoyed-

Claws skittered off dragon-iron, and Jabra went pale under his fur at the tonfa holding back his blow as she glanced up with molten eyes, unimpressed and unmoved. 

“Really?” 

Snapping out of his instinctive freeze, Kaku lashed out with his long neck, and Hikari leaped back to avoid being smacked upside the head, brow quirking when he landed on a hand and began to spin. 

“Experience the fighting power of a giraffe! Tempest Kick!” 

Wind picked up, already creating a vortex, and Zoro grabbed her by the shoulder- 

“Sky Slicer!” 

And the Tower of Justice split cleanly over their heads. 

“...That was unnecessary.” Hikari noted, heart leaping just once against her ribs, as Zoro levered himself up with a grunt. 

“Hey! You just aimed at me while pretending to attack those two, didn’t you?!” Jabra accused, and Kaku turned to him with a glare. 

“That’s a false accusation, but if you want, we can fight. I’ve been frustrated for a while now that you’ve been in my way.” 

“What’d you say?! That’s what I wanna say, you stupid herbivore!” 

“Stars, they’re worse than you and Sanji.” Hikari muttered, cheek resting on a bent knee to watch these so-called ‘professionals’ bicker, and Zoro snorted on a laugh. 

“That bad, huh?” 

“ _ Increasingly _ .” 

Pausing, Hikari’s expression fell deadpan, and the swordsman straightened with a bitten-back chuckle as she activated the earpiece. 

“That’s what I thought.” She drawled, completely unamused. “Lucky for you, everyone’s alive, and we’re working on a timer. But this time,  _ actually follow my orders _ .” 

Once said orders were accepted, the pinkette rose in a stretch to find Kaku and Jabra in each other’s faces, sharing a glance with Zoro. 

_ Boys _ ...

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taking the last step at a leap, Gina paused mid-stride at a sudden crackle in the air, eyes snapping to Nami and Sanji and Franky before realizing the sound was not coming from their little-Eisakus. 

_ Transponder Snail _ . 

There was a whole system of them, all over the island, attached to speakers in case of mass announcements or some such thing, and someone had clearly turned them on. 

“ _ A Golden Transponder Snail! _ ” Spandam’s almost squeaky voice shouted down the connection. “ _ Damnit! Oh crap! This one is the portable Transponder Snail! What have I done? I wasn’t careful! Of all things, I pressed the button of the Golden Transponder Snail! _ ” 

“Golden Transponder Snail?” Nami echoed, horrified. “Do you mean he…?” 

“ _ Of all things, I requested a Buster Call! _ ” 

“...Fuck.” Gina breathed, eyes gone wide, and Sanji’s cigarette fell from his lips. 

“ _ How foolish! Cancel it right away, or it’ll be a disaster! _ ” Robin’s voice soon followed, clearly growing panicked. 

“ _ What? Cancel it? Hey, hey, who do you think you’re talking to? Buster Call is great, isn’t it? What’s wrong with it? That’s right...There’s no problem. I’m the chief of Cipher Pol 9. In order to hand you over to the Government smoothly, I requested a Buster Call. I see no problem in that! No matter what happens here, we’ll be able to annihilate the pirates for sure in the end. _ ” 

“ _ How foolish… _ ” Robin retorted, voice tight. “ _ I told you, didn’t I?! That won’t be the end of it! There’s no humanity in that attack! The attack will completely burn Enies Lobby to the ground! Buildings, people, the very island itself! It’s a nightmarish concentrated fire that sacrifices everything to achieve its goal! That’s Buster Call! You don’t care what happened in Ohara twenty years ago! That’s why… _ ” 

Franky scowled, fingers curling tight into fists. 

“ _ That’s fine. It means that this is very important to the Government. Now that that idiot Cutty Flam has burned the blueprints for Pluton, your existence is the only clue to the ancient weapon. A military power that can turn this whole era upside down is at stake. If it improves our chances of killing those idiots trying to get you back, even if it causes the deaths of thousands of soldiers, we can say that it’s an unavoidable sacrifice for our glorious future! Above all things, my promotion is at stake, too! _ ” 

“That rat bastard…” Sanji bit out, air wavering around him like a heat mirage. 

“ _ What do you think of people’s lives?! _ ” Their archaeologist protested. 

“ _ Don’t forget that CP9 is the Government’s secret organization. If we need a hundred deaths in order to save a thousand lives, we’ll kill those hundred without hesitation on the spot! Mercilessness is also a necessity for true justice! Besides, those incompetent soldiers who couldn’t stop the invading pirates are better off dead, you idiot! _ ” 

Spandam’s laughter spilled out, and Gina cracked her knuckles one by one. 

“ _ That portable Transponder Snail… _ ” Robin realized, voice cutting through his mirth. “ _ The line is connected. _ ” 

… 

“ **_ WHAT _ ** _!?! _ ” 

“I’m gonna enjoy punching his dumb fucking mouth in.” The Iron Dragon growled, Franky slamming a fist into his palm. 

“I’m right there with you, kid.” 

“ _ So...My name is Straw Hat Luffy. _ ” 

“YEAH, RIGHT!!!” 

“ _ Everyone! Leave the island! _ ” Robin shouted, desperate. “ _ A Buster Call has been requested on Enies Lobby! If you stay on the island, you won’t survive! _ ” 

There was a heavy THWACK, and the Straw Hats listened, icily still, at the sound of a body falling down stairs before the line disconnected. 

In that moment, Spandam officially signed his death warrant.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“...We don’t have any more time to waste.” 

“No, we don’t.” 

Kaku and Jabra turned at that, abruptly alert, as starlight condensed on Hikari’s skin and Zoro drew all three swords. 

"You have five minutes." 

The swordsman grinned, all sharpness and bloodlust, around Wado's hilt. 

"I won't need that long. A Hundred And Eight Pound-” 

“Celestial Dragon’s-” 

“BARRAGE!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wine swirling gently in a delicate glass, Mihawk watched quietly as his decided heir leaped back into combat. 

After such a short time, the little rabbit from East Blue had already improved by leaps and bounds...

Perhaps that awaited duel would come sooner than he expected.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shanks was, for lack of a better word, _freaking out_. 

Not only was Luffy fighting the most notorious assassin in the history of Cipher Pol 9 in the middle of  _ Enies Lobby _ , but now the island was being targeted by a Buster Call! 

Benn watched his captain have some sort of stroke at this news, sighing out a cloud of smoke as Lucky Roux tore another chunk of meat off a drumstick. 

“What are we gonna do?!” 

“Not much we  _ can _ do.” Benn voiced, cigarette flicking between his lips. “Enies Lobby’s all the way in Paradise, remember?” 

Shanks blubbered rather dramatically, flopping over his desk like a wet rag, and Yasopp glanced up from cleaning his musket. 

“That’s my boy out there, too.” He pointed out, head inclining to the little screen where Usopp was making a comment on how Fukurou really should use that zipper more often as Chopper read an entry on how the assassin foiled an entire mission by ‘spilling the beans’ just before a trio of gangs were about to wipe each other out as planned. “They’re pirates now, on a proper crew, sailing to reach their dreams. We can worry about them...But we gotta let them fight their own battles, right?” 

Going quiet, their one-armed captain eventually levered himself upright, expression serious. 

“You’re right. The Straw Hats started this war, they need to see it through themselves.” 

All three of his officers went quiet at the sudden pressure of his will, a coiled beast beginning to wake. 

“And if they can’t, the World Government will wish they  _ had _ .”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“And then Jabra...Oh, that’s _nasty_.” 

“Chop-ani?” Sora chirped, head tilting innocently. “What is e-vis-cer-ate?” 

“It’s a very mean thing to do, So-chan, and he deserves to have mom punching his face in right now.” 

"Why me?" Usopp muttered to himself, forehead smacking against the painted dragon-iron of his Kabuto. "What did I do to deserve having to know this?" 

Lassoo chuffed, head turning with perked ears, and Chopper followed his gaze curiously. 

"Usopp! It's Robin!" 

Flailing upright, the sniper snapped his goggles down for a clearer view, immediately spotting Spandam as he yanked Robin up a set of stairs by her hair, the Gates of Justice opened just a crack in the fog. 

"The others haven't caught up yet!" Chopper realized, Kilala leaping down in a burst of hellfire to tower over them in her nekomata form as the Bridge of Hesitation began to unfold. 

"It's time to prove your skills, Sniper King." 

Grabbing a pellet, Usopp pulled the elastic of his weapon back just as Robin broke free below, Spandam rocking forward at a rather sizable Impact- 

"Gunpowder Star!" 

Stumbling back at the unexpected blow that threw her attacker fully forward onto his face, she glanced back in surprise, immediately locking onto the rooftop as Usopp struck a pose. 

"Don't worry! I'm here to save the day!" 

"Go, Sniper King!" Chopper cheered, stars in his eyes, Lassoo howling agreement as Sora trilled. 

"Go! Go!" 

Spandam scrambled back onto his feet, turning as if to shout, and another Gunpowder Star made contact with his face, sending him tumbling back a few more feet and away from Robin. 

"Hey, do you trust me?" 

The little-Eisaku on Usopp's shoulder blinked both eyes out of sync at the offered hand before smiling. 

"Yup." 

Robin jolted at a sudden weight flying into her chest, blinking down at the tiny chameleon-Spirit clinging there, clearly pleased. 

"Hey, there." 

" _ Robin! _ " Chopper blubbered down the line, relieved to tears. " _ Don't worry, Robin! Sanji and Nami and Gi-chan and Franky are on their way right now! _ " 

" _ Robin-oba! Okay? Hurt? _ " 

"I…" 

Blinking past the tears and blood that had dripped into her eye, the archaeologist smiled. 

"I'm okay, thanks to all of you."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“There’s something up ahead!” Nami warned, pulling out her Perfect Clima-Tact as an open doorway spilled light out into the darker hallway they were running down. 

Gina growled, scales rippling across her skin. 

“Don’t stop!” 

Sanji nearly choked on his cigarette when they burst out into a  _ warzone _ , two blurs clashing like thunderclaps again and again, before the darker one suddenly changed course  _ right for them _ \- 

“Gum Gum JET ROCKET!” 

The floor exploded, rocking violently under their feet, and Sanji scooped up Nami before she fully tripped, Gina catching onto Franky’s wrist to yank him along. 

“GO!” Luffy roared, steam boiling from his skin as he wrapped around Lucci like a boa constrictor. “GET ROBIN!” 

Despite that being the original plan, there was still a moment of hesitation, and Gina nearly pivoted on her heel before Franky latched on tight, rear expanding like a balloon. 

“On it! COUP DE BOO!” 

All three Straw Hats screeched at suddenly being plowed into from behind by a fart-flying cyborg, soaring towards the opposite door at startling speed, and Sanji barely regained his bearings in time to keep from slamming into it. 

“COLLIER SHOOT!” 

Wood splintered violently apart, and Luffy grunted as he was slammed back into the floor, determination swelling to new heights at Gina’s fading shout. 

“KICK HIS ASS, DAD!” 

“Gum Gum JET PISTOL!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stone cracked open in an explosion of shrapnel, barely muffling Jabra’s pained yelp as he was thrown through and across the Tower of Justice with a heavy SMACK against the opposite wall. 

“Celestial Dragon’s Cannon!” 

Scrambling, Jabra managed to Shave away before the bolt of starlight made contact, a wave of dread rolling down his spine as Hikari stepped out into the staircase of halls, eyes molten and burning in the dim light. 

“What happened to not having to worry?” She taunted, stardust trailing in her wake. “I thought I was just a ‘pretty little thing’...” 

Jabra had never regretted his big mouth more. 

“Iron Body Kenpo!” He declared, taking a stance. “Wolf Hunt High Speed Scratch!” 

Blurring, he came at her with flying claws aimed right at her neck-

Sparks flew as his attacks skittered off the length of her weapons, eyes widening when Hikari ducked under the last swipe, electricity throwing shadows across her face. 

“Asteria Bolts: Celestial Dragon’s Strike!” 

The spheres made contact right in the ribs, and Jabra felt the surprising lightheadedness of Sea Prism Stone before a few thousand volts of electricity scorched through him. 

With a flare of discharge, he was sent flying back, only a hasty Moonwalk saving the Zoan from falling all the way to the main floor, but there was no reprieve. 

“Celestial Dragon’s Sword Horn!” 

Hikari slammed into him, her legs pushing off in a Claw that threw Jabra into a lower section of hallway as wings unfurled with a powerful downward stroke. 

“Damn it…” The assassin growled, shoving upright. “You...I thought you were a key-holder!” 

“I am.” She answered easily, landing on a railing overhead while spinning her Asteria Bolts. “I’m also a  _ dragon _ . Or did you think they called me Dragon Princess for fun?” 

Cursing, the wolf Zoan lashed out with both legs. 

“Tempest Kick: Lone Wolf!” 

“Celestial Dragon’s Roar!” 

The attacks connected with a pulse of pressure midair, and Hikari rolled sideways to avoid a follow-up strike. 

“Ten Finger Gun!” 

Metal buckled and stone crumbled, but his attention was immediately redirected to her incoming fist. 

“Celestial Dragon’s Iron Fist!” 

The blow cracked across Jabra’s snout, right through his Iron Body Kenpo, and sent him spinning away into a crash landing. 

“You’re a lot sturdier than Blueno.” The pinkette acknowledged, wings flexing. “Looks like I’ll have to use that mode anyway, to make sure I catch up in time.” 

Jabra’s stomach dropped like an anchor as electricity visibly crackled across silver-gold scales, her presence seeming to swell and fill the air, a thunderstorm and a meteor shower rising like a great, titanic beast. 

“Lightning Celestial Dragon Mode.” 

In all his life as an agent of CP9, Jabra had never seen anyone move so fast. 

One moment, Hikari was down the hall, and the next she was already inside his guard. 

“Lightning Celestial Dragon’s Iron Fist!” 

If he had thought the last punch was dizzying, this one was downright  _ mind-numbing _ , practically knocking his brain out of socket and his head through at least four walls before the thicker outer facade stopped him. 

“Lightning Celestial Dragon’s Crushing Fang!” 

And Jabra certainly felt crushed, right through the stone and out into open air, unable to keep up when Hikari blurred into his flightpath. 

“Lightning Celestial Dragon’s-” 

Her foot slammed into his chest, then a fist to the face, a knee to the ribs- 

“BARRAGE!” 

To anyone watching, this assault would look like a blur, both moving too fast to see as Hikari pinballed her opponent every which way, each impact sounding like thunder. 

The wolf-Zoan barely had it in him to squeak when he was smashed back into the tower, eyes refocusing just as Hikari appeared above him, entire arm alight with celestial flame and lightning. 

“Lightning Celestial Dragon’s Firing Hammer!” 

When Jabra could see again, dazzled by the light and the pain and the surprise, he was painfully embedded in the tower’s bedrock and staring up at a massive  _ tunnel _ of effectively vaporized masonry overhead, wide enough for Rocketman to sail through and stretching nearly up to the roof. 

“Lightning Celestial Dragon Mode, Secret Art…” 

His eyes locked onto the sudden glow overhead, starlight and electricity throwing erratic shadows across the winged form hovering stories above. 

“Golden Lotus: Exploding Lightning Blade!” 

And the Tower of Justice burst apart.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Laughter rolled across the Victoria Punk’s deck, a mug of ale sloshing dangerously in Kidd’s hand as his crew roared their approval of the downright vicious finish that had just whited out the screen. 

“Crazy motherfuckers!” He approved, smacking his fellow Supernova on the back heartily. “Now  _ that’s _ a woman, huh Killer? Taking names, kicking ass, doesn’t give a fuck about who’s in her way!” 

“Don’t even think about it.” Killer warned, saving Heat’s drink with one hand. “She’s  _ taken _ . By  _ two men _ .” 

“Means she’s not shy about taking what she wants!” Kid approved, taking a healthy swig from his mug. “Must be a wildcat in bed, too. Can’t wait to find out!” 

All Killer could do was sigh into his palm, mask hiding his resignation as the rest of their crew jeered and egged their captain on, while another screen showed Roronoa Zoro viciously finishing Kaku off. 

“Damn…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sitting on the chair’s arm, Marco watched as his captain’s grip went slack on the bottle of sake in his hand, gaze distant even as it stayed locked on the projected screens that filled the main deck of Moby Dick. 

“Dragneel…” 

With a slow blink, Whitebeard looked to his First Division Commander, a spark of something like hope in his eyes. 

“Do you think…?” 

Normally, Marco would gently remind his true father that it had been more than twenty years now, that after what the World Government had done, the chances were almost nonexistent...

But he looked up at that face, too much like one he remembered from a time when his captain had never stopped smiling, and believed. 

“She looks just like her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a discussion open on my Tumblr (https://dragonprincess18.tumblr.com/) that I hope you'll all take a look at and contribute to! Basically, it's about the future romantic relationships of this story, and I really want your opinions!
> 
> Whether you add a comment there or here doesn't really matter to me, but I want to have the conversation either way.
> 
> Again, thanks so much for following this long!
> 
> Sincerely,  
> DragonPrincess18


	36. Enies Lobby Arc: Part 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> And that's the end of Enies Lobby! On top of my nearest box of tissues...
> 
> Just a warning, you'll need to replace yours, too.
> 
> Sincerely,  
> DragonPrincess18

The Bridge of Hesitation connected fully with a deep KACHUNK, and Spandam took off across the wet stone at a run, already shouting for the guards and the men aboard whatever escort ship was already waiting on the other side. 

In the fog, the Gates of Justice were now fully open, and Robin felt a chill down her spine. 

Never in recorded history had those gates ever been opened wider than a crack, just enough for the bridge, but now… 

“ROBIN!” 

Jolted from her thoughts, the archaeologist turned in surprise as a cacophony of footsteps spilled out of the stairwell, revealing four very relieved faces. 

“ROBIN-CHAN!” Sanji swooned immediately, noodling closer at a rapid speed before face-planting when Gina’s own hug knocked Robin back a handful of steps. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” Nami blubbered, slamming into them moments later, and Franky was lifting the cook up by his jacket when Gina pulled back, growling. 

“You’re bleeding...He hurt you?” 

Boots clattering over stone drew their attention around immediately, finding a growing squadron of marines now standing before a smaller gate on the other end, Spandam flailing in a rather panicked way at how all four locked onto him. 

“How’d you get around the landmine?!” 

“Landmine?” 

A slow grin spread across Gina’s face, and the marines all dropped their jaws at the mangled metal explosive she dug out of a pocket, stunned. 

“You mean this? It was just stuck on a wall.” 

Their eyes bugged when the Iron Dragon proceeded to sheer through said landmine’s outer shell like one might crunch into an apple, Nami giggling while Sanji started fitting their keys into Robin’s cuffs with copious assurances. 

“Not bad, but I wouldn’t have recommended tungsten.” 

“You-ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF ME?!” 

“Trust me, you don’t need me to do that for you.” She retorted smugly, Franky outright cackling at the angry purple-red color Spandam turned. 

“SHOOT THEM! SHOOT THEM DEAD!” 

Reacting instinctively, the marines leveled their rifles and pulled the triggers- 

“Iron Tempo!” 

Bullets pinged harmlessly off onto the drying stone, more than a few men seeming to evacuate their bowels when Gina snickered, scales glittering in the moist air as Nami swept aside her cloud-blockade and Franky cracked his knuckles. 

“Did you really think it’d be that easy?” 

“Funkfreed!” Spandam sputtered, unsheathing his strange sword. “Get them!” 

Nami gasped when the blade elongated, transforming from thin steel to a thick neck and a heavy elephantine head, trunk sharp and pointed-

Before stopping abruptly a few feet from a still-cuffed Robin, momentum halted against Gina’s palm and sword-trunk held securely between clawed fingers. 

“Oh, I like you…” She purred, smile all fang and red eyes glittering like rubies. “I’ve decided. I’m gonna make you my sword.” 

Spandam about swallowed his tongue when the hilt was yanked from his hand, watching in horror as the elephant-Zoan was lifted effortlessly overhead before being brought down with a CRASH, visibly dizzy. 

“What do you say, Funkfreed?” 

The poor creature released a weak little spurt of a trumpet, nodding rapidly, and Gina  _ giggled _ , happily hefting him up as Funkfreed changed into his sword-form on command. 

“Good boy.” 

“ _ Incoming! _ ” 

Sanji lifted his hand immediately, grinning when a pair of keys slapped neatly into his palm. 

“We have the  _ best _ sniper.” 

Robin released a breath when the Sea Prism Stone was finally loosened from her wrists, and Spandam appeared to have some sort of seizure at the full realization of what had happened. 

“You guys defeated everyone in CP9 in the Tower of Justice?! No! That can’t be true! You must’ve stolen them and run!” 

At least one marine outright fainted as Hikari landed on the Bridge of Hesitation, wings flaring wide before folding neatly at her back once more. 

“Take comfort in your lies.” She warned, red flashing in the slit pupils of her eyes. “Because the moment you raised a hand against Robin, your life was already  _ forfeit _ .” 

A roar from Kilala punctuated her words, Usopp already aiming his Kabuto as Zoro swung himself off, drawing Yubashiri. 

“Stay away from our Robin!” Chopper ordered, dropping to his feet in Heavy Point, and Lassoo snarled fiercely in agreement. 

“Stupid-head!” Sora proclaimed, landing on her brother’s shoulders with a frown. “Doodoo-brain!” 

“Tell him how you really feel, sis.” Gina deadpanned, horribly amused and unable to fully hide it. 

“Robin?” 

The archaeologist jolted at Hikari’s smile. 

“You have dibs.” 

Mouth twitching, she nodded, arms folding in a familiar stance. 

“Of course. Seis Fleur!” 

Spandam flailed when six arms bloomed from his chest, stumbling back to the horror of his subordinates. 

“SLAP!” 

The meaty SMACK of a palm against flesh quickly ramped up to a crescendo, so fast each limb began to blur, and Zoro whistled as one last combined blow sprawled Spandam on his back. 

“Feel good?” 

“ _ Fantastic _ .” Robin assured, and the marines backed up hastily. 

These pirates had already torn through the forces of Enies Lobby and most of the elite Cipher Pol 9, so what chance could they-? 

Gina twitched, head turning towards the opened gate, and Sora’s eyes went eagle-silver wide- 

“MAMA-!” 

Just as a cannonball exploded against the metal fencing in a massive eruption of smoke and fire, a battleship appearing in the fog. 

Another faint BAM, and the bisected tower behind them toppled fully, Usopp’s jaw dropping. 

“Paulie?” Hikari asked, finger pressing her earpiece. 

“ _ We’re already out. _ ” The shipwright answered, voice tight as a bowstring. “ _ Got on the King Bulls and your sea-cow with the giants and Kokoro-san. What do you want us to do? _ ” 

“Head back.” She decided after a moment, Spandam struggling upright as an Asteria Bolt spun in her free hand. “We have the rest.” 

“ _...Godspeed, Straw Hats. _ ” 

“Kari?” 

Turning to her crew, Hikari smiled. 

“There’s an escort ship on the other side of this bridge, right Robin?” 

Blinking slowly, the archaeologist returned that smile, and their enemies paled. 

“Indeed, there is. I suppose that’s our only chance of escape.” 

“So, if we get through these guys, all we gotta do is wait for dad.” Gina deduced, spinning Funkfreed leisurely. 

“Sounds like a plan.” Zoro approved, checking Yubashiri’s edge, and Sanji noodled happily. 

“I’ll take care of them, Robin-chan! Nami-san! Hikari-hime!” 

“We’ll help, too!” Chopper assured, Lassoo taking on his hybrid form with a howl, and Sora trilled along. 

“They don’t stand a chance.” Nami taunted, Perfect Clima-Tact spinning out iron-clouds. 

“I’m SUPER with you!” Franky agreed, pulling back a fist as their little-Eisaku’s scattered, camouflaging across the bridge in ripples. “Strong Right!” 

His flying, chained fist smacked right into Spandam’s face, and the fight was on. 

“Gunpowder Star!” 

“Cherry Blossom Barrage!” 

“Iron Thunderbolt Tempo!” 

“Weapons Left!” 

Bodies were already flying, marines scrambling to steady footing and calling out for reinforcements, and screaming when blooming hands grabbed at their ankles. 

“Treinta Fleur! CLUTCH!” 

Spandam sat up heavily, watching his men go down like dominoes, and paled when a shadow fell over him. 

“You didn’t think that was the end of it, did you Spanda?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To say that what Hikari proceeded to do was not fit for weak stomachs would be an understatement. 

The human body is not meant to contort in certain ways, let alone be  _ seen _ to do so, without great discomfort. 

A couple of Kid’s own crew actually winced in sympathy, though their captain was sitting back and enjoying the show as a new keg was opened. 

He could appreciate a woman with a ruthless streak.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pausing in her work, Hikari dropped the folded, crumpled heap of wasted flesh that was once, arguably, a person as she straightened, reptilian-gold eyes turning to the fog beyond the Gates of Justice. 

As their last obstacle upon the bridge went down with a groan thanks to Sora’s claws, large shadows became visible over the water. 

“Battleships.” Usopp whimpered, pale behind his goggles and clinging to Kilala’s back as the nekomata hissed. 

“It’s the Buster Call.” Nami realized, grip tightening on her Perfect Clima-Tact at an echoing BAM. 

The Tower of Justice crumbled in a spray of masonry, then the courthouse, then the city, then the gates...

Robin fell to her knees, the flames reflecting in her eyes as cannon-fire filled her ears and the battleships encircled the bridge while burning down their own island. 

“Buster Call...” 

And the first pillar of the Bridge of Hesitation smashed open under a giant fist. 

“Luffy?” Zoro realized, heart hammering with adrenaline when he saw what could only be Lucci fly from the blow onto one of the battleships. 

A couple of little-Eisaku’s adjusted their speakers to broadcast the marines’ surprise, voices jumbling into static, before a familiar rubbery body flung itself aboard. 

“Gum Gum GIANT AXE!” 

The battleship crumpled in half, barely staying afloat as the fight continued in earnest, mast snapping in half under a Giant Whip. 

“ _ What’s going on? Give me a report. _ ” 

The little-Eisaku focused on this particular voice, and Gina scowled in memory. 

“Vice Admiral Onigumo.” 

“ _ Yes, sir, Vice Admiral! We heard that Straw Hat Luffy and Mister Rob Lucci of CP9 are currently fighting. As a result, the Number Four ship got wrecked! _ ” 

“ _...To the gunners on all ships, aim at the Number Four ship. Fire all cannons together in five seconds. _ ” 

Chopper gasped, Sora flaring her wings in shock. 

“ _ Wha-Vice Admiral, you must be kidding! One thousand of our men are onboard! _ ” 

The sharp CRACK of a gunshot cut through the poor marine’s protests, Nami covering her mouth to hold back a scream. 

“ _ A moment’s indecision can allow vicious criminals to slip away. Can you protect our future from them? _ ” 

“Luffy.” Hikari stated firmly, eyes an icy gold. 

With a rubbery TWANG, their captain Rocketed back off towards their original battlefield before the next volley of cannonballs landed on their own comrades, and Robin watched the wood burn, unable to stop a bone-deep shiver. 

“It’s too late...” 

“No.” 

This soft declaration pierced the burning fog, and her head turned to take in the fierce calm on Hikari’s face. 

“No, it’s not.” 

A little-Eisaku appeared suddenly at her feet as the pinkette drew a golden key, both eyes locked on her. 

“Hime, wait-” 

“Open, Gate of the Water Bearer.” She intoned, resolute. “Aquarius.” 

There was a sudden breathlessness, an emptiness spreading ice into every bone like needles, a blackness tingeing the edges of her mind-

A deep inhale snapped the world back into focus, and Aquarius watched her sternly. 

“Kari-san!” Robin protested amid everyone’s shouts, lurching up. “What are you doing?!” 

“You...All of you are my precious treasure…” 

The crew went quiet, eyes wide. 

“And they…” 

Hikari glanced back, eyes molten and piercing. 

“They’ve held this over you...for twenty years too long…” 

Aquarius followed her gaze to the battleship carrying Vice Admiral Onigumo, grip shifting on her urn. 

“So, I’ll wipe out this Buster Call.” 

Aborted cries shattered the air when a geyser pierced through the hull, throwing the battleship into its brethren with a great CRACK of splintering boards, and bodies fell over the railings in droves to escape. 

“KEY-HOLDER!” 

The cannons audibly recalibrated, aiming right for Hikari further up the bridge, and Zoro drew Wado. 

“Celestial Dragon’s Cannon.” 

The nearest battleship exploded on its aft, set ablaze and splintering from the force, as the remaining fleet circled around, men flooded onto the bridge in a desperate attempt to stop the onslaught. 

A wave washed the first of them back out to sea, and the next wished they had received the same fate. 

“Iron Dragon’s Three Swords Style: Elephant’s Uproar!” 

Funkfreed trumpeted out a battle-cry as Gina lunged into the fray, their blades spinning into a deadly twister that tore a hole right through their ranks for Sora to swoop in after them. 

“Sky Dragon’s Crushing Fang!” 

Further chaos was sewn as men were tossed aside by the gale, scrambling for some kind of stability while their battleships bucked and shattered under Aquarius’ wrath. 

“Tora Gari!” 

Those that managed to avoid the dragons, Celestial Spirit and swordsman wished they had not. 

“Iron Ring Tempo!” 

A large circlet of iron-cloud spun out from Nami’s Perfect Clima-Tact, slicing through the air like a chakram, as Chopper took aim. 

“Cherry Blossom Haze!” 

“Weapons Left!” 

“Hellfire Blaze!” 

The pink smoke ignited immediately, exploding into energetic flame, and Franky whistled appreciatively. 

“Sunflower Star!” 

Watching as the Buster Call itself fell into chaos, Robin rose into a familiar stance, spine steeled. 

“ **_ You’re alone now, but you’ll meet friends someday for sure! The sea is vast, so someday, definitely...you’ll come across friends who’ll protect you! _ ** ” 

_ This wasn’t over. _

“Treinta Fleur! Strangle!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The battle was brutal, even through a screen. 

There was blood and broken bodies and flailing, drowning men wherever the Spirit looked, horde after horde of marines charging into the Straw Hats’ stubborn wrath and finding they stood no chance. 

Luffy’s pitched confrontation with Lucci was no better, the men trading furious blows at nearly blinding speeds, and Law was amazed at it all. 

Already, these pirates had done the impossible in breaking through Enies Lobby to the Gates of Justice, and now they faced down the fury of a Buster Call without fear while their captain continued to knuckle through a knock-out-drag-out brawl with a ridiculously-powerful Zoan assassin...

_ The Ds will bring a storm _ , Law remembered, thumb tapping against Kikoku’s hilt as Bepo gasped at a particularly spectacular light show from the Straw Hat Navigator’s Iron Thunderbolt Tempo. 

Monkey D Luffy may have a small crew, even among the Supernova, but he had clearly chosen them wisely. 

There had already been so many doubts about the World Government’s claims of what happened in Alabasta, and rumors of what exactly transpired in Skypiea… 

“ **_ Hello, everyone...You don’t know about my captain or my crew yet, but you will. _ ** ” 

Over Shachi and Penguin’s teary shouts of encouragement, popcorn spilling all over the floor, Law’s gaze caught on a flash of pink. 

Even strained from summoning Aquarius, who was tossing around Navy battleships like he used Takt to lift scalpels, Dragneel barely stumbled as she smashed a crackling tonfa across a Navy Captain’s face, Roronoa expertly disarming another that tried to attack from behind. 

This small rookie crew had already performed miracles that no one else dared, and if they survived this one, too...

Well, perhaps Law could see about using that luck in his favor.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"There's no end to them!" Usopp nearly wailed, firing as fast as he could while Kilala reared beneath him, swiping massive claws and hellfire at the nearest fodder. 

"Just hold on!" Gina growled around Funkfreed's hilt, the elephant-Zoan twisting his neck around to block a cutlass as she slashed out a Thirty-Six Pound Raven to knock back a handful of charging marines. "Dad's still fighting!" 

"Cherry Blossom Syrup!" 

More than a few men cried out in surprise as the sticky liquid glued them together and to the bridge, struggling futilely to escape, and Chopper swung a gun-form Lassoo around to clear the immediate area while the nekomata flung out a spray of embers. 

"Dancing Dead!" 

Motionless bodies lurched up, and the screaming intensified, only quieting when arms sprouted from shoulders and chests and backs for quick Clutches. 

“Sky Dragon’s Roar!” 

Ducking under a flung body, Hikari came up in a sweeping kick at a few rather-unfortunate faces, leaning back to avoid a broad-axe swing and bringing both legs up to snap into the offender’s chin. 

The strain was tightening in her chest, like a hand slowly squeezing over each lung, and Zoro cast a worried glance over as the pinkette started to fall back, chest heaving. 

Anyone else would see nothing wrong, would think she was still going strong, but he had seen her fighting Arlong’s men in this same way all the way back in East Blue and  _ knew _ . 

Without a word, the swordsman’s focus shifted, blades carving a path towards his girlfriend and drawing attention away. 

A wave of fading pressure, like a dying breeze, ruffled Hikari’s hair, and she turned sharply, faint black stars dancing in front of her eyes-

And froze. 

The first pillar crumbled from the shockwaves of cannon-fire and violent waves, stone walls falling open to reveal the ravaged storeroom hidden beneath. 

But what caught her heart in an iron grip and squeezed was the sight of Luffy, steaming and battered and bleeding worse than she could ever remember, sprawled out on the floor and  _ not getting up _ . 

“Luffy…” 

Stumbling closer to the bridge’s edge, where only raging waters and open air separated them, the pinkette managed to take in a deeper breath when Lucci took a step, claws scraping stone. 

“LUFFY!” 

The Zoan paused, gaze swinging around, as his downed opponent choked in a gasp. 

“Kari…” 

The fighting raged at her back, dulled to an inconsequential buzz compared to the sudden fire blazing in Hikari’s veins. 

“Monkey D Luffy, don’t you  _ dare _ give up now!  _ Get up _ !” 

The Paramecia visibly struggled, blood dotting each breath, and her entire soul cried. 

“This isn’t where it ends!” Hikari denied, starlight sparking off her wings as Aquarius swung her arm, smashing three ships together like an avalanche. “This isn’t as far as we go! We…” 

Blinking back tears, she stepped forward, wings flared wide. 

“WE ARE THE CREW OF THE FUTURE PIRATE KING! AND HE’S NOT LOSING TO AN  _ OVERGROWN CAT _ !” 

A stuttering inhale, dark eyes locked on burning gold. 

“SO, GET YOUR ASS UP RIGHT NOW _AND KICK HIS TAIL IN_!” 

Struggling against leaden muscles, Luffy bit out a frustrated cough-

But then Lucci moved, turning to face the bridge and the key-holder standing there. 

“I’ll kill every last one of you.” 

The roar that escaped Hikari then was all rage and defiance, a dragon’s cry that promised to fight until-

Lucci froze, disbelieving, when Luffy rose at his back. 

“I won’t…” 

Fist poised over the scarred floor, a fresh wave of steam escaped Luffy’s skin as he stared the Zoan down. 

“Until I defeat you...I won’t sink to the ground ever again.” 

A wet little giggle escaped Hikari’s throat at that. 

“Damn right.” 

Without a word, Lucci’s slimmed hybrid form bulked back up. 

“Don’t worry about your friends, Straw Hat. As you wish to be together with them again...I’ll send you all to the same hell.” 

And the fight was on. 

Both blurred, trading punches blindingly fast, countering each blow as an Iron Thunderbolt Tempo split the air, drawing Hikari’s attention back around. 

Only two of ten battleships were still anything close to seaworthy, and more than a few Devil’s Fruit users had come out to even the playing field against Kilala’s zombie army. 

“Asteria Bolts: Fleur D’Etoiles!” 

A pair of startled Navy Captains yelped when their powers- _ one’s arms turning into spinning wheels and the other’s voice shattering stone _ -cancelled out at the glowing star-water wrapping around their chests, releasing rather high-pitched squeals at suddenly being flung sideways to plow through their own comrades on either side. 

With a twist, they came full-circle and spiraled up into the air, coming down with a SNAP on the men trying to attack Sora from behind as she used a Sky Dragon’s Claw to kick a large man away from Usopp so he could continue firing unimpeded. 

Her head whipped around at Gina’s shout, eyes gone wide as rust spread across Zoro’s arm inches from her face-

The rust-man choked when a star-whip closed around his neck, slinging him into a nearby battleship, the bridge, and at least ten other marines. 

“Zoro!” 

The swordsman glanced over, pulling out what remained of Yubashiri’s blade with a grimace, and Hikari’s jaw tightened as she flung the offender out to sea. 

Gina growled in apology, fangs secured in Funkfreed’s hilt and iron scales rustling, and he pat the Iron Dragon’s shoulder while drawing Wado and Sandai Kitetsu. 

“Master Nail!” 

“Taka Nami!” 

A primal roar split the sky, silencing both sides. 

“GUM GUM-” 

A heated snap, like rubber finally being released from tension. 

“ _ JET GATLING _ !” 

This time, when the pillar exploded, Rob Lucci did not get back up, and Luffy toppled over victorious. 

“ _ This is a report to all ships! _ ” A marine crackled over Transponder Snails and little-Eisaku’s combined, horrified. “ _ Mister Rob Lucci of CP9 has just...has just been defeated by pirate Straw Hat Luffy! _ ” 

“ROBIN!” Said Paramecia shouted, unable to move but uncaring so long as his voice carried far enough. “WE’RE GONNA GO BACK TOGETHER!” 

“Luffy won!” Usopp cheered, happy tears filling Robin’s eyes as she nodded. 

“He did it!” Chopper blubbered, hybrid-form Lassoo howling, and Gina chuckled tiredly. 

“About time, dad…” 

Blinking slowly at a faint THUMP, Luffy managed a grin when Hikari stumbled into his line of sight, wings dragging just a touch even before she dropped to a knee. 

“Quit worrying me like that.” The pinkette grumbled, scooping up her noodle-limbed boyfriend with a grunt of effort. “Come on, we’ve got to get to the escape ship.” 

Humming agreement, the Paramecia happily burrowed into her cleavage as she straightened, arms wrapping thrice around her torso and fingers tying into secure knots. 

“Aquarius!” 

“Hurry, brat!” The mermaid-Spirit snapped, a Bubble Shot clearing a path down the bridge. “There’s not much time left!” 

Hikari knew that, adrenaline no longer enough to mask the feeling of her bones being drained dry as she stepped up onto a half-destroyed wall-

And paused. 

_ Were the gates…? _

A faint tugging distracted from that, like the barest whisper of a voice,  _ below _ , and her gaze drifted down. 

_ Oh _ . 

“EVERYONE!” 

The crew turned at her shout, Sanji appearing with a Poitrine to knock away a marine trying to slice Nami in half. 

“JUMP!” 

“HUH!?!” 

But she could see the realization come over their faces, the voice coming through, and Hikari smiled. 

“INTO THE SEA!” 

As one, the Straw Hat Pirates leaped towards the ocean...

And the caravel waiting below. 

“ I came to get you! Let’s go back, everyone! Back to the seas of adventure! ” 

A wave of the hand had them splashed directly onto the empty deck, and Aquarius smiled, urn swinging around. 

“HOLD ON, BRATS!” 

To the surprise of every Navy officer present, and the world watching, the Straw Hats were swept away on a wave from the reforming whirlpools and closed gates, laughter and stardust left in their wake.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Going Merry only had so much strength left. 

Hikari knew this, soul-deep, sprawled across the main deck with Luffy’s weight wrapped around her chest and Zoro’s fingers curled in her hair. 

Even with Aquarius and Eisaku having returned to the Celestial Spirit World, and Enies Lobby lost behind the horizon, her bones felt cracked open and throbbing, a hook caught deep behind her ribs...

_ Would he make it in time? _

“Hey, it’s Galley-La!” 

Sanji’s shout roused the tired crew as said shipwrights shouted greetings from their own galleon, and Luffy frowned at the hiccup in the  _ tha-thump _ of her heartbeat as Hikari sat up, Zoro steadying her by a shoulder. 

“Ice-Pops!” 

“Stupid-berg…” 

And before any of them could so much as breathe, the Going Merry split open. 

Chopper screamed, toppling off a startled Lassoo’s back as the deck bucked underneath them, and Gina cursed as she caught Sora around the waist, spiked feet catching in the wood stubbornly. 

“What happened?!” Nami blurted, horrified as she stared down the deep rent right behind the bow-side deck, Usopp collapsing in tears. 

“Merry…” Luffy breathed, eyes wide, feeling the hitch in Hikari’s chest. 

“This is it.” Zoro realized, and there was no need to say more. 

“Let her rest now.” Iceberg advised solemnly. “I’ve already done everything I could...when she asked me to repair her, so she could come save you.” 

Tears burned at her eyes, a tight knot lodging in Hikari’s throat with searing intensity. 

“I’m watching a miracle right now...A miracle of a ship that has long passed its limits...I’ve been a shipwright for many years, but I’ve never seen a pirate ship this incredible. It’s lived a splendid life.” 

In that moment, Hikari felt her heart start to break. 

After all they had been through, all the adventures and all the places they had been…

And then the wind shifted. 

Luffy heard the heavy  _ tha-THUMP _ moments before Hikari lurched unsteadily onto her feet, clinging tighter in surprise as she scanned the horizon frantically. 

“What is it?” Zoro demanded, catching their girlfriend by shoulder when she swayed, but Hikari hardly seemed to hear him. 

“Hey…” 

Rubbing his eyes clear, Usopp pulled down his goggles as Franky came to squint over the water. 

“There’s something coming this way…” 

“What is it?” Robin wondered, Sora climbing onto her sister’s shoulders with a chirp as a hybrid Funkfreed peeked around for a look. 

“It looks like…” 

The sharpshooter’s jaw dropped onto the railing like an anchor. 

“HAPPY?!” 

More jaws followed when that suspicious blue dot indeed  _ was _ said cat-Spirit, white-feathered wings flapping frantically and some sort of bundle hugged tight to his chest, as he crashed onto Hikari’s chest right next to Luffy, deflating like a balloon. 

“Happy!” She nearly cried, cradling him close as Luffy slipped onto his own feet. “Did you…?” 

The winged cat smiled, utterly exhausted but clearly proud, and pulled back the green cloth of his prize as the crew gathered around, curious. 

“Is that…?” Nami realized, eyes going wide, and Robin nodded numbly. 

“Do you think…?” Gina muttered, a spark of hope in her eyes, and Usopp blubbered with hysteric joy. 

Because sitting in his paws was a green-and-brown, swirled avocado of a Devil’s Fruit. 

“Iceberg-san!” 

Hikari turned, tears swimming in her eyes. 

“Please, fix up Merry one last time!” 

“Hikari…” He began, pained. 

“NO!” She denied, the force of it shaking Luffy to his core. “The Merry came all this way to save us! Every step of the way, she’s been there for us...And I won’t let her die like this! Not when we have a way to save her, too! So, please!” 

Dropping to her knees, Hikari bowed as deeply as she could, voice choked but fierce as ever. 

“PLEASE, HELP MERRY!” 

A moment of silence, before there was another set of knees hitting the deck, and another, until the entire crew was bowed with her. 

“...Galley-La.” Iceberg ordered, firm. “All hands on deck. Franky?” 

The cyborg nodded after a moment, cracking his knuckles. 

“Let’s do this.” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even in the uncertain waters of the Grand Line, the shipwrights of Water Seven were not known as the world’s best for nothing. 

While clearly damaged, the great tear had been fairly well-sealed, leaving the Going Merry in one piece before her crew one last time. 

“How are we going to do this?” Zoro wondered, eyeing the Devil’s Fruit held close to Hikari’s chest. 

“Yeah, how’s Merry supposed to eat it?” Sanji worried, puffing away at his cigarette. 

Taking a deep breath, Hikari stepped up to the longboat’s edge. 

“Merry?” 

For a moment, all any of them could hear was the creak of damaged boards and flap of sails...

And then they were there, blood dripping through the fabric of a little yellow raincoat. 

“If I eat that…” They whispered, form flickering like a flame in the wind. “Then I can still go on adventures with you?” 

Luffy sniffled, in tears, and only Zoro’s grip on his shoulder kept him from tackling the Klaubatermann in a hug. 

“Of course! You’re part of the crew, Merry!” 

“We’d never leave you behind!” Usopp assured, words almost incoherent through his sobs. 

“Merry, come with us!” Chopper blubbered, hugging Lassoo tight to keep standing. 

“You...You were the first home I ever had.” Gina admitted, knuckling at her eyes. “Wouldn’t be the same without you, Merry.” 

“Merry, come!” Sora pleaded, chest heaving with each breath, and Robin pet a hand over her braided pigtails. 

“Please, Merry…” 

“Come out to sea with us!” Nami burst, wiping her cheeks clear. 

Zoro and Sanji said nothing, but they hardly needed to. 

“I know it’s a risk…” Hikari admitted-

Only to squeak when the Fruit was suddenly yanked out of her hands, disappearing in a swallow down the child-figure’s throat. 

“...Oh.” 

A shudder went up their spine, Merry gagging while stumbling back- 

“Merry-” 

And falling, the ship disappearing with an audible POP that displaced the ocean in a rush. 

“MERRY!” 

Zoro cursed, leaping with a panicking Sanji into the cold water before Hikari could do the same, everyone watching with bated breath...

Three figures surfaced in sprays of seawater, already kicking back towards the longboat, and Franky reached over to yank them over the side. 

“Merry?” Luffy voiced, head tilting like a confused puppy, and no one could blame him. 

Because shaking herself off between the soaking-wet men was a young girl, hair a riotous white mass down her back and skin a contrasting oaky tone, a little yellow raincoat hanging off her shoulders. 

“Hey, I thought Chop ate the Human-Human Fruit…” Gina voiced, thrown, and Robin nodded. 

“He did.” 

Because Merry sat up then, revealing dark eyes and a round, pink-cheeked face...

And little brown horns curling at either temple, and mossy-green-and-brown sheep’s legs poking out beneath the coat’s hem, little cloven hooves clattering. 

“Everyone…” Merry sniffled, mouth screwing up to hold in tears. “I can’t take you to Raftel anymore, but...Do you really want me to come with you?” 

And just like that, none of it mattered. 

“Always!” Luffy promised, flinging himself forward to embrace her only moments behind Hikari, the Celestial Dragon’s purr rattling right through his rubber bones. 

The crew joined the embrace immediately after, nearly tipping the longboat in their enthusiasm. 

“Always!”


	37. Return To Water Seven Arc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> And here's everyone, safe and sound back at Water Seven...for now.
> 
> I do recommend tissues. I needed some.
> 
> Sincerely,  
> DragonPrincess18

When dawn crested that morning, it was to a world in chaos.

Zoro hardly cared about the particulars being shared as the Galley-La ship came into port at Water Seven, but noted them distractedly while carrying a sleeping Hikari down the gangplank, Luffy following with a thoroughly-bandaged Merry in his arms.

The footage from Enies Lobby had apparently sparked one hell of a storm, and Iceberg was telling Robin how Water Seven was only one of many islands severing ties with the World Government, while even more were apparently in the throes of revolts and revolutions.

Pirates all over the Grand Line and the Blues had also taken advantage, bombarding Navy bases and battleships in a way none had ever dared before, and Paulie had brought more than one newspaper detailing the havoc.

None of it mattered to Zoro in the least, not when Hikari was out cold from apparently holding open _three_ Gates and Merry still bore the injuries of her ship-form splitting apart and Robin was turning black-and-blue in places that made more than one of them curse.

Not that everyone else had come out of Enies Lobby unscathed, he admitted, scratching at a bandage over his shoulder as Luffy snored obnoxiously.

"It's great that Franky is building us a ship." Nami gushed, nursing a mug of steaming tea. "Hopefully, we're all rested and ready to go by the time he's done." 

“Hopefully, the Navy doesn’t come by to _shoot us_ before he’s done.” Usopp blubbered into the table, newspaper crinkling in his hands, and Kilala raised a tiny cloud-cat paw to pat his head gently while she lapped at a shallow bowl of milk.

“Considering the response they got from Water Seven yesterday, I don’t think that’s a big concern.” Sanji noted, setting a plate of eggs, bacon and toast before the sniper. “Especially with their undercover team out of commission, the only option left is to attack the island, and that wouldn’t do their tattered reputation any favors.”

“That’s a relief.” Chopper admitted on a sigh, organizing his kit while Gina huffed out a laugh, thoroughly bandaged and sprawled next to an open window, Funkfreed’s trunk slipping in to poke worriedly at her shoulder.

“Got enough to worry about with a bunch of their islands calling it quits...And that’s not even talking about the ones rebelling. The Revolutionaries are probably having the time of their lives.”

“Which can only help us.” Nami agreed as Sora joined Chopper in changing out Merry’s bandages, wings folded in tight to keep from knocking the nightstand over again. “So, let’s just enjoy a little vacation before sailing off.”

Feeling the uneven weight in Yubashiri’s scabbard, Luffy sprawled across his lap and a hand tangled in Hikari’s hair, Zoro got a feeling that would hardly be the case.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not for the first time, Sengoku regretted ever accepting the position of Fleet Admiral.

Just looking over the piles of reports teetering on his desk was exhausting, and their contents did not help his mood at all.

Already, forty countries had denounced the World Government and pulled their support, sometimes violently if Navy bases were in place and the marines there attempted to stop them, and half as many more were in the throes of outright rebellion, the people rising up against rulers that had outright supported the reasoning behind Ohara’s destruction and the capture of Nico Robin and Cutty Flam.

On top of that, while the Emperors had settled back down, that was hardly the case for the aptly-named Worst Generation.

The Kid Pirates were already cutting a fresh swath in what he highly suspected was the direction of Water Seven, the Bonney Pirates had apparently made a game out of raiding Navy galleons, the On Air Pirates kept replaying clips of Enies Lobby’s downfall and giving angry marines a merry chase through the Grand Line to ultimately loot their ships, the Fallen Monk Pirates were taking advantage of the chaos to take out weakened Navy bases, the Hawkins Pirates had managed to evade Moria and come out of the Florian Triangle to continue pillaging, the Drake Pirates seemed to be culling lesser pirate crews, the Fire Tank Pirates were flaunting their heist of the Diamond Reserve and three royal families, the Heart Pirates had gone disturbingly quiet...

And Sengoku had lost every giant in his ranks alongside nearly a third of their infantry.

Rubbing at the throbbing pressure behind his eyes, he sighed and reached for a bottle of rum.

 _Damn Dragneels_ , he thought tiredly while pouring out a generous four fingers into a glass. _Never could do what they’re told_ …

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luffy frowned, nuzzling closer to the steady _tha-thump_ , _tha-thump_ of Hikari’s heart, fingers twitching restlessly.

Three days after Enies Lobby, and she was still asleep…

“Careful!”

An annoyed bleat, almost a growl, answered Chopper’s concern as Merry carefully balanced on cloven hooves, practically swimming in a long pale yellow nightdress that did nothing to hide the shaking of her legs or the bandages still wrapped thickly around her belly.

“Are your stitches pulling?” The larger Zoan fretted, wringing both hands while Lassoo sat next to him, ears perked. “Do you feel nauseous? Numb? Maybe you should sit down-”

“I can do it!” Merry insisted, holding onto the bed for stability. “Why didn’t anyone tell me walking was so hard?!”

“To be fair, I don’t remember learning how to.” Gina noted good-naturedly, running a cloth over Funkfreed’s blade as Sora hopped closer to steady the smaller girl.

“It took me a while, when I first ate my Fruit.” Chopper admitted, looking adorably sheepish in his Heavy Point. “But you’ll get the hang of it, Merry! Just keep practicing! And don’t push yourself too hard!”

“How am I supposed to keep practicing and not practice at the same time?!”

A grin spread across Luffy’s face as the children teased and argued between themselves, quietly supporting Merry while she made unsteady hooves shuffle over the floorboards.

Sanji would be back soon with food, so maybe Hikari would still wake up in time for lunch!

But there was a little niggle of doubt, in the back of Luffy’s mind, that said it would not be so simple.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hm…”

Yasopp frowned at his captain’s contemplative hum, eyeing the stack of fresh bounty posters in his hand.

“Cap?”

“Take a look at these.” Shanks decided, offering them over with a wave. “Tell me what you see.”

Curious now, he accepted the papers, unable to help a smile.

“Hey, these are the Straw Hats’ new bounties!”

The Emperor nodded, settling back on the crate he had chosen to sit on, as Yasopp flipped through.

“Three hundred million, the little anchor’s really flying up the charts! He’s one of the Supernova for sure now, huh? A hundred-and-twenty million for the swordsman...Oh, looks like he got a new nickname. Demon Hunter seems fitting. Nico Robin’s gone up a bit, eighty million...For a first-time bounty, seventy-seven million isn’t bad. Oh, that cyborg guy’s here...Forty-four million is pretty respectable...Oh, there’s my boy! Sniper King Usopp, thirty-million!”

Taking a few moments to celebrate, he continued on.

“Well, look at that! Weather Witch Nami, thirty-million, huh? Got to admit, that was a pretty impressive fight...Oh, here’s the kids! Red Steel Gina, twenty-five million...Monster Doctor Chopper, twenty-five million...Sky Sorceress Sora, twenty million...Never seen kids with bounties this high!”

Shanks frowned at that, like expected, but gestured for him to keep going.

Confused, Yasopp picked up the last poster...

And froze.

Dragon Princess Dragneel Hikari, 300,000,000, it proclaimed boldly underneath a picture of the pink-haired woman.

What caught his attention, however, were the words directly over that.

Only Alive.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cigars clenched tight between his teeth, Smoker shuffled through the papers in his hands with a glare in the dim light of his cabin.

Each page was redacted into incoherency, little more than lost names in a sea of black lines, one island after the other...

Too much like the report that had been filed for the incident in Alabasta, the one that was meant to properly document what really happened.

The sudden stirring of his Transponder Snail roused Smoker from his black thoughts, frowning around his cigars as the connected equipment whirred to life and spit out a single sheet of paper.

Reaching over, the Logia grabbed it off the little side-table, eyes already scanning the words-

And for the first time in a long while, his stomach dropped as the Transponder Snail suddenly went off again.

 _Fuck_.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Light bled through the sensitive skin of her eyelids, soft as a caress, and Hikari slowly rose through the molasses-thick depths of her soul.

Sunshine trickled down her throat, better than a cool drink of water, and the pinkette managed to force her eyes open.

The bed was wedged into a corner where two wide windows met, every set of curtains taken down and piled up on a nearby nightstand, and she stared up at the wooden ceiling for a few moments in a daze.

“You’re awake.”

Blinking at a sudden hand offering her a glass of water, Hikari managed to wiggle somewhat upright and accept it, smiling as Robin dispersed the extra limb to focus on pouring a cup of tea.

“It’s been four days, we were starting to worry.”

“Sorry…” She rasped, sighing at the cool relief of that first sip. “You okay?”

The archaeologist smiled, crossing from the table to sit by her on the bed.

“Bruised, but healing. Merry was perhaps worse off than either of us, but Sora-chan was able to close her wound enough that she’s begun practicing to walk.”

“Good…” Hikari breathed, shoulders slumping just a touch. “And the others?”

“Mostly exhausted. They have all gone out to get last-minute supplies for our new ship, while I stayed in case you woke up.”

“New ship?” She echoed, brow furrowing, and Robin hid her next smile behind a sip.

“Yes, Franky was generous enough to draw up blueprints himself and offer to build us a ship. Iceberg is helping him, along with the Galley-La foremen. It’s very kind of them, considering Aqua Laguna did so much damage.”

Hikari blinked at a faint tremor traveling up into the mattress, eyeing how the teapot rattled on the table, and the archaeologist hummed.

“Ah, it also seems that the other giants in the marines had no idea what happened to Saul and decided to terminate their employment. They’ve joined Oimo and Kashi as part of the Giant Warrior Pirates, and are helping to rebuild Water Seven under Iceberg’s directions.”

“...Huh.”

The pinkette nodded, setting aside her glass.

“Wasn’t exactly expecting that.”

“I don’t believe anyone was. Many things have changed while you were asleep.” Robin noted, brushing back the younger’s bangs. “Rest. Our captain will want to throw a party once he hears you’re feeling better.”

Already exhausted at the thought of having to get up at all, Hikari rolled back into the sheets as Robin giggled, standing.

“I’ll be right back with some lunch from Galley-La.”

“...Robin.”

She paused at the door, curious at this sudden subdued tone.

“I’m sorry.”

After a moment, Robin chuckled, stepping outside.

“There’s no need to apologize, Hikari-chan.”

When the door clicked close, Hikari sighed.

If she was lucky, there was time for a little nap before Luffy got back...

 _Hime_...

Jolting out of her doze, Hikari sat up and looked towards the ring of keys sitting innocently on a nightstand.

_Eisaku?_

A tremor of unease went down her spine when his key rattled, urgent.

_Hime, open!_

Grabbing up the keyring, silver and gold keys jangling, she barely formed the thought before Eisaku tumbled onto her lap, vibrating with a call.

“Hime, they’ve been calling for hours!” The chameleon-Spirit complained, nearly shaking right off her knee.

“Who?” Hikari wondered, steadying him with one hand.

“Don’t know! No one’s used my number in a century! All of these ones are new!”

Hesitating, she grabbed up the receiver with the CLICK of an answered call, unable to deny her curiosity.

“Hello?”

“ _There’s no time to explain, so just do what I say._ ”

Caught off-guard by Smoker’s rough voice suddenly coming over the line, Hikari only had time to take in a breath as he explained-

And froze.

“ ** _RUN_** _._ ”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

None of them had expected it, with as quiet as this backstreet was.

Sanji was floating in Nami’s wake, Gina was grabbing Usopp by the collar as he tried to wander into a thrift shop, Chopper was scooping up a profusely-swearing Merry before she face-planted on the sidewalk, Lassoo was snickering at his side, and Sora was starting to climb up Luffy’s back where he was melted across Zoro’s back-

And then everything went sideways.

Vision spinning, Luffy coughed on dust as he tumbled out of a half-destroyed building, old injuries aching anew as he focused on their attacker.

All he saw at first was a leg, thrice as thick as Merry’s mast had been, thickly muscled under what looked like neon-orange tights that ended in some sort of metal shoe, his gaze moving up to a metal-encased barrel of a torso, hairy arms and a shaggy, brunette, braided beard doing nothing to hide the bloodthirsty gleam in the apparent giant’s eyes as he adjusted the metal helm atop his bald head.

“You lot destroyed Enies Lobby? I knew those cowards were weak, but this is pathetic, even for them.”

Rubble moved to his right, and Luffy glanced over to see Zoro sit up from underneath a solid section of brick, Sora tucked safely against his chest with Kilala.

“Bastard…” Sanji choked out, heaving himself out of the water half a block down with their navigator in tow. “How dare you try and hurt Nami-san…”

“Don’t worry.”

Luffy lurched up when the cook fell sideways, blood flying from a sudden slice in his side, before a man popped into existence, smirking meanly underneath a fancily-twisted moustache.

He was wearing some sort of chainmail armor made from an obnoxiously-bright yellow metal that fit tightly over his stick-thin frame, belts of light-colored leather covered in various knives criss-crossed over his chest and around his hips, so he struck a strange, almost gangly figure with his ginger pompadour and thin eyes.

“We’ll make sure all of you die together.”

“Fucking try it, asshole.” Gina hissed, shoving aside a broken food stand of some kind as Funkfreed took on his hybrid form with an angry trumpet to shield a panicking Usopp from the giant.

“Who are you guys?!” Chopper demanded, Merry clinging to the back of his Heavy Point while he lifted a gun-form Lassoo-

There was a sharp cry from their sniper moments before a bullet knocked the dog-gun from his hands, and Zoro whipped around with Wado in hand to block spiked knuckles, attacker materializing as if from a mist.

“We’re knights!” He answered brightly, a baby-faced blonde pretty boy with big green eyes wearing some sort of quilted armor in a shiny silver fabric, buckles and buttons a polished black that matched the long spikes protruding from his gauntlets. “Come to slay your wickedness!”

“Hey-!”

Luffy froze when a sharp edge was suddenly pressed to his throat, Sora’s wings bristling as Zoro slid a glare to the woman at his boyfriend’s back.

“Let’s not be hasty, Rex.” She purred, grip steady on her long rapier while leaning into Luffy’s periphery, all gleaming crystal eyes and fine light-purple hair twisted up into braids, armor chest-plate gleaming with inlaid crystals as her metal skirt rustled. “We _are_ looking for someone, and they know where she is.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t rough them up a little, Cynere.”

Another woman, taller even than Franky with the lean, whipcord muscles of a marathon athlete under layered samurai-like armor in buffed silver tones and hair pulled back into a severe brown topknot, held the blade of her naginata dangerously close to a crouched Chopper’s neck.

“Pirates won’t tell you anything without some...incentive.”

“Now, Jyotis, let’s not get carried away.”

Luffy’s knuckles went white when a white-haired woman stepped into view, face angular and sharp around cold, laughing eyes.

Unlike the others, her armor was like opaque crystal, rising up in spikes from the greaves to the pauldrons and down to the vanbraces, fluid sheets of glittering metal that did nothing to hinder her stride.

“We haven’t even asked them any questions yet.”

Zoro tensed, Sora releasing a low hiss, when she strolled closer to crouch in front of a half-raised Luffy, mouth tipped into a taunting smile.

“So, Straw Hat, where is she?”

“Where’s who?” He wondered, expression set in stone, and the giant laughed as Gina bristled.

“Told you she wouldn’t tell them!”

“Much too smart for that.” The pompadour-man snickered, Nami keeping an eye on the knife spinning in his hand while pressing against the wound on Sanji’s ribs.

“Who wouldn’t tell us what?” Luffy demanded, teeth starting to grind in annoyance.

“You see, we’re looking for a very specific girl.” The white-haired woman confided, clearly enjoying his frustration and the rather tight spot all of them were in. “She ran away from home a few months ago, left without a trace. Made a lot of trouble for her father before disappearing, too.”

Usopp clung to Funkfreed’s neck, trembling hard and wishing he had his Kabuto, and Sanji cursed, managing to a get foot underneath himself.

“But there’s only so long you can run from your responsibilities.” She explained, condescending. “Now, it’s time for her to come home and fulfill her obligations.”

A pit was opening up in Luffy’s stomach, worse than any hunger pangs, as Nami slowly reached back for the pieces of her Perfect Clima-Tact.

“Oh, you _do_ know who I’m talking about.” The woman teased, smile like a snake’s. “So, tell us where she is, or…”

The giant raised his foot, as if to stomp on Gina, Funkfreed and Usopp, the knife-wielding man spun two blades into his hands, the spike-knuckled knight raised his other fist as Zoro’s free hand dropped to Sandai Kitetsu, the samurai-woman tilted her naginata’s blade against Chopper’s cheek as Lassoo took on his hybrid form with a snarl and Merry glared venom, and Luffy felt the rapier’s edge bite just so into his rubber skin.

“We’ll have to start taking _pieces_.”

The rubber-boy glared, heart pounding in his chest as his knuckles pressed into the cracked cobblestones-

"STOP!!!"

And everyone froze.

Because Hikari was there, curls mussed from sleep and the wind, wearing one of Zoro's old shirts and barefoot and looking more scared than any of them could remember.

"Just...stop." She repeated, breathless. "I...I won't fight if you leave them alone."

"Kari!" Luffy protested, Zoro's jaw ticking tighter as Gina whipped around.

"Hm...And why should we?” The woman wondered, smug, as her hands rose too close to the Paramecia’s face. “After all, you’re already here. What’s to stop me from just...taking an eye, and leaving with you anyway?”

Eyes bleeding gold, Hikari looked her straight in the face, fierce and unbending.

“If you draw a single drop of blood more from any of them, I’ll rip my own heart out before you can blink, and you’ll go back to him with **_nothing_**.”

The smile fell away, calculating, before the woman pulled away with a sigh.

"At least you're smart enough to know when to give up. Cynere."

Luffy released a breath when the swordswoman suddenly disappeared, head turning sharply to see her suddenly beside Hikari, weapon sheathed at her hip.

"This way, princess."

"Leave them be." The crystal-wearing knight ordered, her comrades stepping back. "We have what we came for, right Heartfilia-sama?"

That name rang a distant bell in Luffy's mind, but it was Nami that gasped.

"You…?"

And the way Hikari flinched, shoulders curling in as if expecting a hit and face shadowed, made his rubber heart constrict like a vise as Zoro swore.

"KARI!"

She jolted, head ducking further at Luffy's shout as he managed to stand.

"What's going on?! Why are you going with them?!"

"...I'm sorry."

Tears threw rainbows in her eyes, and the smile there was shaking too much at the edges, barely held in place by sheer will.

"I...I wished too selfishly. I wanted so badly to keep traveling with all of you...see all of you achieve your dreams...that I ignored all the risks."

Chopper was already starting to cry, Merry's fingers curling into his fur, and Usopp came to his feet unsteadily, disbelieving.

"Kari?"

"Hikari-hime…" Sanji choked out, like his heart was in his throat, and Sora released a heartbroken keen as Nami staggered up.

"Kari-chan, what are you saying?"

Her eyes stayed on Luffy and Zoro, all those old scars breaking open and shedding blood.

"I love you so much...so I have to go."

"Kari, don't." Zoro denied immediately, starting to rise as Luffy stepped forward.

None of them knew it then, but back at Galley-La, Robin was meeting Leo’s horrified eyes from the doorway, a ring of abandoned keys sitting on the table between them like an omen.

"Kari-"

"I'm sorry."

And then they were gone, the whole world falling out from beneath Luffy’s feet.

" ** _KARI_**!!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to go by my Tumblr, https://dragonprincess18.tumblr.com/! Not only do I share a bunch of One Piece quotes, I also answer asks and such from you guys about The Dragon That Will Pierce The Heavens! Go enjoy!


	38. Heartfilia Arc: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Happy Fourth of July! Or, well, at least happy barbecue and fireworks? It's a strange time...
> 
> Anyway, here's the first chapter of my first completely-original arc. I have so many ideas, so many hints I laid out to build up to this, and now I'm giddy to share them all with you! Hopefully, you all enjoy them!
> 
> Don't forget to go by my Tumblr (https://dragonprincess18.tumblr.com/), where you can ask me for headcanons on this story and request my thoughts on whatever you like; but be warned, I won't be spoiling anything!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

Standing in the spare room of Galley-La’s headquarters, Iceberg had no idea what to say.

Luffy was staring at the ring of keys sitting in front of him at the table, their shine somehow dulled in the low light, with Zoro’s hand held tight in his as the swordsman seemed to meditate, a tightly-coiled spring.

Nami was leaning against a wall, on the verge of tears and gripping her Perfect Clima-Tact so tightly her knuckles had gone white, and Sanji was slumped on the bed, watching the smoke trail up from his cigarette with haunted eyes.

Chopper was hiccupping, rubbing away tears as he secured bandages to the cook’s wound while Lassoo whined pitifully, and Merry was a little ball in the corner of the bed, muttering profanities under her breath and sniffling into the white skirt covering her knees.

Kilala was curled tight around Sora, the young dragon almost completely hidden in the nekomata’s thick fur, Gina slumped next to them on the floor with a hybrid Funkfreed wrapped around her shoulders and Usopp pacing the entire length of the room, Kabuto clutched tight in both hands and eyes a little wild.

Franky had collapsed on a chair, disbelieving, and Robin had not moved from the window, dragon-iron claws rustling as she gnawed on her thumb, pensive.

“...Did that just happen?” Nami muttered, lifting her head as if in a daze. “Is Kari-chan really...a World Noble?”

“Yes.”

All eyes turned to Iceberg, who felt a familiar throb in his temples as he stepped forward with a sigh.

“She asked me not to tell any of you, but considering the circumstances…”

“Iceberg-san?” Robin prompted, eyes suddenly sharp on his face.

“There’s a reason that Hikari was in my office that night.” He admitted, solemn. “And it wasn’t to discuss the acquisition of Adam’s Wood for your ship. We met once before, about five years ago...and I knew her as Heartfilia then.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ship had not changed at all, though it had only been a handful of months since she last saw it.

A heavy CLICK sounded at her back, and Hikari released a breath, taking in the cabin slowly.

Golden-oak walls were softened by gauzy gold curtains, an expansive bunk sitting against the far wall with neatly-tucked silk sheets in a glaring white with a stitched-gold down comforter, a vanity sitting innocently to the side with a dainty chair, unopened jars and tubes of makeup neatly lined up in front of the intricately-carved mirror.

Hikari’s gaze then turned to the dress-form, eyes hollow and sad.

The dress was a shimmering gold, with a fitted bodice trimmed with lighter gold, off-the-shoulder sleeves that matched the full, eight-paneled skirt that just brushed the floor, made full with multiple layers of scallop-hemmed white petticoats.

Fingers curling into the loose fabric around her thighs, rough in comparison to all these silks and satins and velvets, she caught the shine of golden bars over the portholes and sighed.

_Same old gilded cage._

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“WHAT!?!”

Iceberg was startled to suddenly find Nami, Sanji and Usopp right in his personal space, wide-eyed and full of questions.

“What was she doing in Water Seven?!”

“Does she have family here?!”

“Do you have a picture?!”

“WHAT DOES THAT MATTER!?!”

All three yelped when hands sprouted from their shoulders to grab an ear, tugging hard, and Franky herded them to the table as Robin lifted a curious Merry onto her hip and followed.

“Oi, let Stupidberg breathe! How’s he supposed to explain if you keep on like that, huh?”

“Sorry…” They muttered, Usopp rubbing his ear as Gina sat next to him, Sora curled in her lap and Lassoo settling into the next chair with Chopper.

“But this is the first time we’ve got to talk with anyone who knew Kari before!”

“I always thought she was from the East Blue.” Nami admitted, sheepishness turning to guilt. “I mean, that’s where most of us met...but if she met Iceberg-san here, that means Kari-chan is from the Grand Line, right?”

Everyone paused at that, her words processing slowly.

“You’re right…” Chopper realized, lower lip already quivering.

“Kari never said.” Luffy voiced, mouth screwing up tight.

“That’s because Hikari wanted nothing to do with her old life.” Iceberg admitted, quieting the upset crew. “Allow me to explain.”

Robin and Franky settled into their own seats as the mayor of Water Seven organized his thoughts, the words hard to grasp.

“Five years ago, when I started the Galley-La Company, one of our first commissions was the flagship of a World Noble...Heartfilia Jomei.” Iceberg began, already frowning at the memory. “He had apparently seen some of our earlier work and decided it was acceptable enough for his purpose.”

His gaze weighed heavily on each of the pirates.

“And when a World Noble decides to use your services, you don’t have a choice in doing so.”

Franky scowled, but tipped his head in understanding as Gina released a low growl, Funkfreed hiding against her back.

“When he came to oversee construction, he brought guards, servants...and his daughter.”

Luffy’s gaze was intent on the man’s face, catching the deep sadness that flickered across his expression.

“Hikari was about thirteen then...but she was so small and thin, I thought she was younger.”

Sanji looked like a kicked puppy, horrified at the thought of a child-Hikari that had gone hungry at any point in her life, and Zoro squeezed Luffy’s hand to keep him from jumping up.

“I was told to ignore her. God, she was so quiet...Never said a word when he was around, never even met anyone’s eyes. But I noticed she would talk to the servants, and their old butler was very protective of her, steering her away from people and ushering her out just before Heartfilia entered the room. That’s when I noticed the bruises.”

Nami placed a hand over her mouth, choking back a sob, and Usopp sat back heavily in his seat as Kilala hissed.

“He struck his own kit?”

“More than once.” Iceberg admitted, voice tight, and a glass shattered in Gina’s hand at Sora’s keen. “The way he talked about her...As if she was a nuisance, bothering him just by standing there, for stepping too loudly, for the way she poured tea or gathered plates. There was always some impossible standard that she was failing to meet just by existing, and he made sure to remind her at every opportunity.”

Robin was deathly quiet, sweeping up the glass and remembering herself, twenty years past and alone even with her family.

“I couldn’t directly disobey him, or Water Seven would have been destroyed...But I managed little things. Warnings, mostly, and slipping food to her when no one was looking.”

Something like pain flashed across Iceberg’s face, choking-fast.

“Hikari...it was like no one outside of the servants had ever been kind to her before.” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ocean rolled past a clear horizon, shimmering turquoise and deep blue under the lowering sun, only the slightest swells rocking the ship as it was pulled along by a strong wind.

Leaning against the bars, gold cool against her skin, Hikari watched the sun’s slow descent towards the water and ignored a knock that sounded at the door, muted even to her sensitive ears.

“Heartfilia-sama, you missed lunch.” Rexlord voiced brightly, the slide of his spiked knuckles against the wood disquieting. “Should I have a servant bring some?”

The pinkette did not so much as bat an eyelash at his words, numb down to her bones, just watching the water roll by.

“...Well, Captain Xandra will be coming to talk with you soon.”

That title caused a twitch of the shoulders, a flick of the eyes, but Hikari stayed quiet as his footsteps faded away back down the hall, soon lost amid the usual creaks and sighs of a ship at sea.

Because in her mind’s eye, all she saw was a caravel bobbing on the water, a familiar straw hat sitting on messy black hair as that smile was thrown over a shoulder.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Franky was blubbering about as bad as Chopper, who was soaking Lassoo’s fur, and Luffy’s expression went very dark at the sudden tension against his palm.

“Sometimes…”

Merry’s soft voice cut through the tears, eyes far too haunted for someone so small.

“At night, when she slept alone, she’d wake up crying. It was worse after Alabasta, and Skypiea...I think it was harder for her to forget when she felt alone.”

 _Because when you’re alone, there’s no one to remind you it’s over_.

“Hikari-hime…” Sanji choked out, pressing a hand to his eyes in a vain attempt to fight back tears.

“How could he…” Nami managed to say, biting her quivering lower lip. “She must have been so lonely…”

“Why would she go back to an asshole like that?!” Gina snarled, Funkfreed rumbling aggressively, and Robin reached out to hold her clenched fist. “If he did that shit where everyone could see-!”

_Then what did he do when no one was looking?_

Sora released a high-pitched cry, distressed past the point of words, and Chopper immediately took on his Heavy Point to gather her up in a crushing hug, Lassoo yelping at the sudden shift.

All Luffy could see was that bruise on Hikari’s back, all sickly yellow-green and purple, in the shape of a boot.

“She went back to _that_ …” Usopp sputtered, crying waterfalls. “To protect us?”

“Hikari-chan is exceptionally selfless.” Robin noted, tightly contained, as her hand pressed gently into Merry’s shaking back. “More than once, she’s risked her life to save us...without caring what would happen to her by doing so.”

Luffy remembered her standing up to Alvida on that ship, trying to untie Zoro from that cross with a whole firing squad ready to shoot, swinging him away from Cabaji’s sword, knocking Kaya into Horologium’s body right under Kuro’s claws, going right for Mihawk’s throat after he cut Zoro open, attacking Arlong’s crew for threatening Genzo, flying right at Buggy in Loguetown before he could cut Luffy’s head off, promising Laboon that they would come back someday for sure, tearing apart that scheme on Whiskey Peak, swearing to help Vivi save her people, beating the Baroque Works Agents at Little Garden when they tried to kill everyone, falling sick and still demanding they go straight to Alabasta...

And as the list grew longer, he realized how true that was even when the crew was not actively in danger.

How often had the Paramecia found Hikari talking with Sanji about restocking the kitchen?

Or getting that special paper for Nami’s maps from Aquarius?

Or discussing new books with Robin?

Or helping Chopper give Lassoo a bath?

Or rocking Sora to sleep on nights when the clouds were too loud?

Or listening to Usopp discuss a new design?

Or helping Gina pick out new clothes?

The same memories flashed through Zoro's eyes, and he cursed rather heatedly.

Because both of them remembered the look on Hikari’s face when Virgo had taken that bullet from Helmeppo’s gun and that wax harpoon from Mister Three.

_Because she had promised not to die, but there were worse things, weren’t there?_

"It doesn't matter."

The crew quieted at this firm declaration, their captain straightening with fresh steel in his spine.

"It doesn't matter because we're going to get Kari back."

“How?” Usopp managed to ask, blowing his nose in a handkerchief. “We don’t even know where they’re taking her…”

"So we'll find her." Luffy decided, stubborn.

"Not knowing wouldn't stop Kari." Zoro agreed, tone steely and sharp as Wado's blade.

"You're right." Nami stated after a moment, rubbing her tears dry.

"She can be rather stubborn, after all." Robin mused, mouth quirking just slightly into a smile.

"Don't worry!" Franky burst, nearly toppling his chair to strike a pose. "I'll SUPER help you! We'll get sis back no problem!"

"Really?" Chopper blubbered, accepting a handkerchief from Usopp to blow his runny nose.

"Of course!" The cyborg assured, expression suddenly serious and fierce. "Sis made sure to take care of my subordinates, saved Stupidberg, and you all came to save me in Enies Lobby...I owe all of you, for helping fulfill my dream. But I need to ask for one more thing."

Lifting his sunglasses, Franky turned to Luffy, shoulders straightening.

"I want to go with you, to save sis...to see the ship I built sail to the ends of the world! As the shipwright of the Straw Hat Pirates!"

The Paramecia blinked slowly before smiling, not quite as bright as his usual grins but pleased and sharp-edged, and Iceberg sat back with a relieved sigh.

"Of course, Franky. No one else could be our shipwright."

“As wonderful as this is, it doesn’t help us figure out where Hikari-hime was taken.” Sanji voiced, worrying the filter of his cigarette, and Nami rubbed her temples with a frown.

“If we can figure out which way they went, I could narrow down what routes they could have taken…”

"Sora, could you get her scent?" Gina wondered, and the young dragon frowned for a moment before nodding. "Unless they just disappear her straight to wherever they're going, we should be able to track her."

"Yeah!" Chopper agreed, straightening up as Lassoo chuffed with a nod. "We remember their scents too, so we can follow them!"

"My ship can catch up, no problem!" Franky assured, two thumbs popping up.

"You'll need more than a good ship."

Everyone went still, turning sharply at the new voice, and Luffy choked on the shout rising in his throat.

Because the newcomer standing in the doorway was _familiar_ , even if his hair was longer and there was a burn scar over his left eye, and his smile was the same even without the gap of a missing tooth.

"I ran into a few people on my way over that can help my baby brother, if he wants." 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The lock turned with a decisive little CLICK, but Hikari made no move to acknowledge it as the door swung open, Xandra stepping in with her gleaming crystal armor, bare hands deft on the handle and nails sharpened like claws, painted a deep, bloody red.

“Hello, poppet.”

Her gaze flickered, just the tiniest bit, before refocusing on the waves outside.

“Oh, you used to be so much better at pretending.” Xandra purred, crossing the room with confident strides. “We never even noticed what you were planning...But it looks like all that time out in the world has made you soft.”

Hikari’s skin crawled at her touch, the tips of sharp nails trailing down from jaw to shoulder across a controlled pulse.

“I sent a message ahead. Arrangements are already being made.”

A slow smirk spread across Xandra’s face at the little flutter in her heartbeat.

“You _should_ be excited, poppet.”

Knuckles going white over her knees, Hikari had to close her eyes, heart sinking like an anchor.

“Don’t all princesses look forward to their wedding day?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zoro blinked, mouth opening-

"SABO!!!"

And Luffy launched himself across the room in tears, clinging tight to the man's torso like a limpet.

"You're real!"

"Another brother?!" Nami realized, stunned, and Franky started bawling as Sanji's cigarette nearly fell on the table.

"I'm not crying! The shine of their brotherly love just got in my eyes!"

"Luffy!"

This time, it was Nami that practically toppled her chair, eyes wide.

"VIVI!?!"

The princess of Alabasta smiled, a bit breathless, as the Straw Hats nearly cracked the floorboards with their jaws.

"I came as soon as I saw Enies Lobby! But I ran into a little trouble on the way…"

"Which worked out rather well."

Usopp nearly dived behind Gina as a lanky man stepped around her, easily taller than Zoro by about half a foot and with a sword nearly as tall he was held nonchalantly in one hand, his baggy yellow-and-black hoodie and spotted jeans and furry hat doing little to distract from the lazy predator-tilt of his head or the glint in gold-yellow eyes.

"Since we came across the princess just as her ship was being boarded by some rather unsavory raiders."

"What?!" Nami choked out, nearly cracking Vivi's ribs with the force of her hug. "Are you okay?! Did they hurt you?! I'll fry every last one of them-"

"What makes you think there's anything left of them?"

Usopp could not believe that this guy was _even taller_ , bare-chested under a long, dark-feathered coat that made him seem bulkier, his hair bright red spikes that matched his reddish-orange eyes, smirking slowly as he leaned an arm on the doorframe.

"I needed a warm-up.”

“Trafalgar Law, Eustass Kidd.” Robin greeted, claws rustling as she turned in her seat. “What brings you here?”

“It seems we had similar ideas on meeting your crew.” Law noted, brow quirking at the way Luffy twisted in his hug around Sabo to eye both of them without letting go.

“Ran into each other taking out those small-fry.” Kidd shrugged off, jerking a thumb towards Sabo. “Then the Revolutionary showed up.”

“I came as soon as I remembered, and when we took a moment to get our facts straight, thanks to Vivi-sama, we agreed it would be faster to come together.” The blonde explained, patting his brother’s hat and earning a little giggle. “And someone insisted on coming along, too, that should be able to help.”

Kidd snickered at an annoyed grunt, pointedly not moving as a much smaller figure managed to wiggle between him and the frame, thoroughly rumpled and annoyed and not even five feet tall, for all she must have been Gina’s age.

Her hair was a bright blue, a few shades darker than Vivi’s but nowhere near so dark as Sora’s, which seemed brighter against her brown skin and hazel-green eyes, and she adjusted the purple headband holding her shoulder-length curls back rather pointedly before glaring up at a clearly-unrepentant Kidd.

Gina just blinked, took in her gray vest and dark purple, pleated skirt and scuffed sneakers, as she turned back to them with a determined expression at odds with such a sweet face.

“I’m McGarden Lily, and I know exactly where Hikari-sama is being taken.”


	39. Heartfilia Arc: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Okay, I meant for this chapter to end on a happier note...but that didn't exactly happen. I think that's what happens when I keep revealing more and more of Hikari's past, all the happy endings just seem to go hide. Trust me, soon there'll be plenty of retribution!
> 
> Anyway, I have headcanon bullet points going up on Tumblr (https://dragonprincess18.tumblr.com/) for you guys! You can send requests from the list I've provided there, or your own ideas!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

Law was not sure what to make of Straw Hat Luffy.

He had seemed rather single-minded in the footage, sure, and he was clearly happy to see his brother, but that hardly accounted for his easy acceptance of two rival pirate captains.

 _Then again_ , Law conceded as he scanned the packed table, _Mugiwara-ya is perhaps the only one with a crew where almost everyone has a bounty_.

Bounties they had more than earned at Enies Lobby, and it was wise to remember that even the little reindeer and the shaking sniper had stormed a Navy fortress and escaped alive.

Leaning back in his chair, the Heart Captain relaxed just a touch at Bepo's low hum.

"Why do you even _want_ to ally with us?" Nami asked plainly, pointedly sitting with Vivi tucked into her side opposite them. "You're our rivals, aren't you?"

"We’re all about to enter the New World.”

Killer’s calm, deep voice was a stark contrast to his captain’s grumbling as he whittled a design into the table, clearly restless.

Thankfully, Iceberg had bowed out of the meeting to gather up the Franky Family, or Law suspected he might be upset.

“The territory of the Four Emperors. There, you either fly under an Emperor’s flag, or you die. Creating an alliance among fellow rookies is the most logical solution.”

“And you happen to be a magnet for the most interesting sorts of trouble.” Law noted, Luffy glancing up from the bone he was gnawing on.

“Figures you’d get into some more before we even got here.” Kid snorted, mouth twisting into an annoyed scowl.

That was understandable, really; Law had gathered the other captain’s interests were more in their currently-lost key-holder than the Straw Hats as a whole, though Killer had enough sense to convince Kid that an alliance was wiser than trying to steal her himself.

Considering Luffy and his crew were planning on storming an island owned by a World Noble so soon after breaking Enies Lobby, that was turning out to be a better and better idea.

"Consider it repayment." Law offered, thumb tapping against Kikoku's hilt, and he saw Zoro's eyes flicker at the movement, one of his own swords seeming to rattle in its sheath. "If the mess at Enies Lobby wasn't being broadcast, our own escapades would have been impossible. Being in debt is hardly ideal."

"And I'm sure you have no interest in trying to take our Hikari for yourselves?" Robin hummed, the soft rattle of chains from her claws a warning backed up by Gina's low snarl.

One look around the table showed the cook paused halfway to lighting a cigarette, blue eyes flickering in the naked flame, the sniper adjusting the tilt of his weapon for easier access, the navigator twisting a section of her strange staff to put a menacing crackle into the air, the doctor suddenly swelling into his Heavy Point with his dog-gun suddenly in hybrid form, the shipwright cracking his knuckles, the youngest dragon scowling rather adorably even as her nekomata bared massive fangs, and the little Zoan girl very suddenly with a rather large knife in her hands that she seemed all-too-ready to use.

"No." Killer answered firmly, almost as much to his captain as to them.

"Would be rather foolish to, after what we've seen." He agreed, forcing his grip on Kikoku to stay lax.

But Luffy said nothing, just looked back at Law and Kid as if peering into their souls, and Zoro watched him, at ease but with a hand on his white-handled katana.

"Okay." The Paramecia decided, mouth stretching into a grin, as his brother smothered a laugh at the shocked faces suddenly swung his way, little Lily almost face-palming. "Then we're allies."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hikari was the best at reading people.

Not that Luffy was bad at it, really, but he never looked for the ‘why’ of how people were, the past that had shaped their quirks and choices.

Luffy cared about who that person was _now_ , ‘friend’ or ‘enemy’ or neither, and had no need for their backstory.

But he had seen how Hikari would look at a person, like she was reading all the little details of their heart in a glance without needing to ask.

Zoro was no less focused on his goal of becoming the greatest swordsman, but that contemplative expression he got when looking at Wado Ichimonji was not quite so pained as it had been, at the start.

Nami still hoarded gold and beli like a dragon, but there was no sharpness to her eyes when someone passed the treasure room anymore, or a shakiness to her hands when inking maps of new islands, eyes now dry and clear.

Usopp still lied and told grand stories, but he hardly shook now when facing someone bigger and stronger than him, no longer looked at Luffy and Zoro and Sanji like this unattainable goal.

Sanji would always be a little woman-crazy, but he seemed more settled even without a woman nearby to please, the haunted look in his eyes fading into contentment as he went about doing what he loved most.

Chopper would always be innocent and kind, but he was not so shy when meeting new people, head held high and hands steady now when he bandaged a wound instead of panicking.

Gina was still standoffish with strangers and eager to fight, but there was no wariness in her step now, no hesitation to make her presence known around others, showing her scars like badges of honor.

Robin would likely never fully shed her reserved manner, but she was lighter now, the shadow of her past banished in the light after being shared and the world knew what truly became of her home.

Sora still preferred to be quiet, but she smiled and laughed and curled up on laps to be read a book, wings spread wide like great feather-scaled blankets in a way she never could before.

Luffy had noticed, but Hikari had been the one to go about quietly healing all those old hurts none of them had admitted to, never asking for anything in return even when Luffy saw the scars carefully hidden in her heart.

Looking at Torao and Gizao- _it was hardly his fault that their names were so long and hard to pronounce_ -, Luffy thought that Hikari would like them.

Torao was quiet and smart, but he could tell the older man was just as scarred up on the inside, covering up with those cool tattoos and the smiling face of a jolly roger like armor.

Gizao was loud and liked to use his size to intimidate, but Luffy saw him glancing out the window to check on his crew where they mingled with Torao's, too.

Nami was shouting about how accepting an alliance just like that is asking for trouble, Usopp was almost crying, Sanji was fussing over a startled Vivi, but Zoro was looking to him quietly, steady as ever, and Luffy grinned back, clinging tight to a brother he thought had been lost.

He liked them, so they were going to stay.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zoro settled back into his seat, letting the crew’s annoyance crest and recede like always against the sheer sunshine of Luffy’s smile.

The decision had already been made, and all of them knew there was no changing it.

"Now that that's settled, we should focus on retrieving Hikari-ya." Trafalgar prompted, only the tilt of his head and assessing glance hinting he was just as surprised as anyone else that Luffy had agreed so easily.

"Finally!" Eustass declared, stabbing his knife into the table with a grin. "About time we have a good fight."

"In that case, I believe Lily-chan has quite a lot to tell us." Sabo voiced, calming the last bits of unrest with a smile. "Right?"

The girl straightened sharply at that, fumbling with the pen in her hands and flushing pink as she glared at a snickering Gina.

"Yeah, pipsqueak." Eustass taunted, finally rising from his slouch with interest. "Tell us about all the people we get to beat up."

"Who're you calling a pipsqueak, you gorilla?!"

The Iron Dragon laughed outright now, catching Lily by the back of her vest before she cleared the table to attempt strangling a highly-amused Eustass.

"Hold up, honey badger." She teased, lifting her back easily into her seat one-handed, and Funkfreed hid under an arm at the glare this earned. "He's got a point. Come on, tell us who's gonna end up in traction."

Now a bright red, Lily retrieved her pen- _a silver-cased thing longer than Zoro's hand from middle finger to the base of his palm, with what looked like flowers and stars engraved down one side_ -to fiddle with the twisting cap, taking a steadying breath.

“Right! Yes! Um…”

Fumbling with her messenger bag, Lily pulled out a neatly-folded map from what looked like a tightly-packed group of books, spreading it neatly on the table for everyone to see.

“This is where Hikari-sama was taken. Estrella.” She explained, and Zoro took in the stark lines of an island inked into the water-proofed paper, the outline reminding him vaguely of a five-pointed star. “It’s a fairly small Spring Island to the north of here that was commandeered by the Heartfilia family as a second home outside of Mary Geoise roughly twenty-five years ago. It has a natural blockade from approaching ships, thanks to submerged coral reefs along most of the shoreline, except for this section here, in the east. That’s covered by a gate that stretches between the break in coral, but it’s the only entry point for a ship. It's manned by at least ten lesser knights with two cannons."

Trafalgar shifted forward in his seat, and Zoro recognized the glint in those yellow-gold eyes from Hikari, like a thousand little threads were being woven together.

"Lesser knights?"

"Ah, right, that's how soldiers are ranked in Estrella." Lily answered, gesturing with her pen like a baton. "There's squires, like basic Navy soldiers, then lesser knights that are more like Marine officers, with knights over them, and then the Star Guard."

Her expression went from calm, almost analytical, to tight and somewhat afraid.

"You...met them already."

Luffy's expression went flat and fierce, the change catching Eustass' attention immediately, and Trafalgar tilted his head just so, assessing the sudden tension among the Straw Hats.

"I suppose they're our main concern, then."

Lily nodded, glancing quickly to Sabo and continuing at his encouraging nod.

"Yes. The Star Guard are the seven strongest knights on Estrella, and each of them has a Devil's Fruit.” She continued, regaining her earlier calm. “There’s Sir Quilinus, who ate the Size-Size Fruit, which allows him to grow or shrink at will.”

“So, he’s not really a giant?” Chopper realized, clambering onto Lassoo’s head as the dog-gun grunted.

“No, though he does prefer being rather small and then jumping to giant size when ambushing an enemy. Sir Giovanni is about his level, he ate the Flat-Flat Fruit, which means he can flatten his body like paper. He’s also known to be skilled with knives.”

Nami’s knuckles went white on her Perfect Clima-Tact, and Sanji twitched, as if feeling that slice in his side opening all over again.

“There was a sniper.”

Usopp’s voice only shook a touch, but he rallied when all eyes turned his way, Kabuto clacking resolutely on the floorboards.

“They shot Lassoo right out of Chopper’s hands. No one else there had a rifle.”

“Ah, that would be Lady Mirke.” Lily realized, nodding. “A sniper with the Sight-Sight Fruit. She can see through obstacles in her immediate range of vision for...I believe the last measure was about three thousand paces, or nearly a mile and a half.”

“Only three thousand?” Usopp scoffed, and Zoro smirked at how he puffed up, grip steady on the shaft of his weapon. “I can hit a fly from four thousand! Bring it on!”

“Impressive.” Trafalgar noted, and Zoro could tell that even Eustass was remembering the footage of their sniper holding the Bridge of Hesitation from the rooftop of the Tower of Justice alone for at least ten minutes.

“Least we won’t get a hole in our heads before even starting.” The larger captain agreed, knife balanced on his knuckles. “So that’s three.”

“Ah, then there’s Sir Rexlord.” Lily noted, twisting her pen in a nervous gesture not betrayed by her face. “He’s the only Logia. He ate the Mist-Mist Fruit, so he can turn into vapor, and specializes in close combat with spiked gauntlets.”

The reminder raised Zoro’s hackles, but he made no move beyond that, though Sora glanced his way and cooed, ears tilting in concern.

That bastard’s gauntlet had come way too close to her face.

“Lady Jyotis ate the Demon-Demon Fruit, some sort of Zoan type that looks like a devil, and wields a naginata.”

Chopper frowned, rubbing at his neck where that blade had rested, and Merry scowled.

“Lady Cynere is a swordswoman that ate the Port-Port Fruit, so she can teleport anywhere she can see.”

Zoro’s eyes caught on the line of rusty red at Luffy’s throat, and Sandai Kitetsu rattled for blood.

“And Captain Xandra...She ate the Puppet-Puppet Fruit.” Lily voiced, hands shaking just a touch. “Anyone she touches can be put under her control, like a puppet on strings.”

There was a sharp roll of Trafalgar’s shoulders at that, hidden by him leaning back in his chair, but Zoro saw Luffy’s gaze flicker over before Robin tapped her claws pointedly against the table.

"You know quite a lot about this island, considering its home to a World Noble." She hummed, and Zoro knew there was no way she missed the reflexive flinch of her hand around that pen. "How is that?"

Killer shifted in his seat, head turning sharply, and Trafalgar focused in like a laser on the shaky inhale Lily took, knuckles going white.

"...Because I used to live there." She admitted, eyes sad and scarred just like Hikari's. "As a personal servant of the Heartfilia family."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kid was not the sort of person who expected much from the World Government.

They might talk about justice and order and 'the greater good', but he knew that was all fancy wrapping for some truly messed-up shit, especially when it came to World Nobles.

The proof of that was sitting right in front of him, all that fire suddenly snuffed out as Lily curled into herself, and the blade of Kid's knife cracked through the table.

"WHAT!?!"

The tiny teenager shrugged, unable to make eye contact, and that was so far from the pipsqueak that had stood in front of him without any fear, shoulders back and jaw set stubbornly, back on the princess's ravaged ship.

“I suppose the more fitting word would be ‘slave’...but my family had been in service to the Heartfilia family since the Void Century.”

Nico Robin twitched at that, eyes sharp, but it was Trafalgar that spoke.

“So, you have the mark?”

Lily blinked slowly, mouth quirking into a faint, wry smile.

“Oh, no. He never approved of that...Takes too long to heal. He had...other methods for keeping his slaves in line.”

And Kid had a pretty good idea what those must have been.

What pissed him off was that he could tell those other children did, too.

“Heartfilia...He sees caring about others as a weakness.” Lily voiced, and iron claws curled into the table, carving out deep gouges as easy as one might part loose soil with their fingers. “And he hated that Hikari-sama always cared, so he tried to make her stop. He used to hit her a lot, and lock her in her room without food for days…But Hikari-sama would ignore it and disobey him anyway.”

Now that sounded like the woman Kid remembered from Enies Lobby; stubborn as all hell and not taking anyone’s shit, even as a child.

But what raised his hackles was the ‘used to’, which even had Trafalgar’s Mink navigator shifting nervously at the sudden tension from the Straw Hats.

“Used to?” Franky prompted, and Kid could buy him being a mob boss right then, with how severe his face was.

“...I was about six.” Lily admitted, holding onto that pen with both hands like a lifeline. “I don’t remember exactly why Hikari-sama was in trouble...It could have been for helping one of the servants clean up a mess, or sneaking out food to one of the poorer families on the island...All I remember is Lady Jyotis grabbing me from the library.”

The navigator was biting her lip bright red, and the princess seemed to be connecting dots that no one else was privy to, Sabo starting to scowl darkly.

“The Star Guard...they took us to a part of the shoreline I’d never been to before. I think...Hikari-sama had. She knew where we were. Then Heartfilia pulled out the Fruit.”

Killer went very still, and Kid hated that he knew where this story was going.

“God, it tasted so bad…I don’t know how I choked it down.” She continued, far away and aching. “But once I did...they tossed me into the sea.”

There was no missing the scowl on Straw Hat’s face, hellfire in his eyes, as Trafalgar’s grip tightened on his sword.

Because every Devil’s Fruit user remembered the first time they fell into the water _after_ , the suffocating weight as if the entire ocean was pressing down on you, the way your muscles went limp and your bones seemed to turn into lead...

Roronoa looked ready to slice someone to ribbons, just like Killer.

More than once, Kid’s First Mate had gone into a panic when the Paramecia had been knocked into the water during a battle, and there was no doubt that Roronoa had dealt with the same, given how many Devil’s Fruit users were on their crew.

What sort of sick fuck would shove a Fruit down a child’s throat and then push them in on purpose?

“Hikari-sama tried to jump in after me, even though they were pinning her down, and...Well, I’m pretty sure she _bit_ Captain Xandra so she could use her blood to summon Aquarius.”

While there was certainly a part of Kid that was furious at the thought of seven adults ganging up on a ten-year-old, he could not help being ferally pleased that it had _taken_ seven of them to keep Hikari down, and she had probably done more damage than a bite.

Luffy snickered, smile sharp, and Zoro snorted, leaning back in his seat.

“That sounds like our Kari.”

“I’m surprised Aquarius didn’t drown all of them.” Chopper voiced, eyes wide, and Sora nodded quickly.

“I’m surprised she didn’t tear that bitch’s throat out.” Merry agreed, blinking at the sudden stares leveled her way. “What? Just because I’m adorable, I’m not allowed to swear?!”

That got a snort of cackles from Gina, who dropped her head to the table in an attempt to muffle them as Usopp shrieked a “MERRY!” and Lily slapped a hand to her mouth around a startled giggle, eyes lighting up again.

“He did that again, didn’t he?”

Trafalgar’s low voice quieted the Straw Hats, and Lily nodded after a moment, no longer quite so tense.

“Yes...He would threaten to do it whenever he wanted Hikari-sama to do what he wanted.”

The cook was practically breathing fire, and no one could blame him.

“HOW DARE THAT BASTARD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIKARI-HIME’S PURE HEART!?!”

“Sanji, sit down!” Nami hissed, yanking him back down, but Vivi seemed pensive.

“I knew that Hikari-san was afraid of others drowning, but I didn’t think…”

“Wait, how did you know that?” Usopp wondered, frowning, and she suddenly seemed _very_ shifty as Sabo quirked a brow.

“Princess?”

“I...might have forgotten...I met Hikari-san at the Levely…”

“...ARE YOU _SERIOUS_!?!”

Nami began to shake the princess by her shoulders.

“THIS IS WORSE THAN FORGETTING ABOUT THE HALLUCINOGENIC CACTI AND SANDORA LIZARDS!!!”

“I-I’M SORRY!”

Killer dropped his masked face into a palm, probably regretting his idea of an alliance already, and Luffy zeroed in on Lily at her pensive expression.

“I think...something happened before that.” She admitted, Kilala’s ears twitching. “Heartfilia said, ‘So, you’re willing to go this far for a slave, but not for him?’ And I...I never saw Hikari-sama look so heartbroken.”

Kid scowled, knife cracking through the table, and Luffy looked from him to Trafalgar, steady and burning.

“We’re going to make them _hurt_. Any questions?”

Trafalgar huffed, the tilt of his smirk predatory, and Kid pulled out his knife with a grin.

“Just one. What are we waiting for?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first sliver of land on the horizon made Hikari's heart clench.

Her next breath was too deep, constricted by the bodice of her dress, and that only made the tightness worse.

Because it felt like years since she had been here, a _lifetime_ , and all the weight was suddenly slamming back into place on her shoulders like a stockade.

Fingers curling into the thick fabric of her skirt, Hikari steadied in front of the vanity, breaths careful and measured against the pressure.

This dress was also gold, with an intricately-stitched bodice of starbursts so heavy with matte gold thread that it was stiff from her hips to the sweetheart neckline, the skirt falling in velvet folds to the floor and covering the point of white heels.

Forcing her hands to stop shaking, she expertly twisted her hair up into waterfall braids, the repetitive motion calming frayed nerves.

“Heartfilia-sama.”

Hikari finished the last twist without pausing, as if Quilinus was not even there, and he huffed in amusement.

“The captain wants you up on deck for our arrival. I’m sure the men will appreciate the sight of you.”

Hands going still, she forcibly relaxed and stood, heels clicking steadily across the floorboards as she brushed past him without a word.

“So cold, Heartfilia-sama.” He taunted, slapping a hand to his silvered breastplate. “One would think you didn’t approve of my appreciation for your beauty.”

The pinkette pulled up short at a gloved hand on her bare shoulder, dark eyes turning as Giovanni popped to his usual three-dimensional shape, smirking.

“Don’t be like that, Heartfilia-sama.” He crooned, fingers slipping up in a ticklish touch against her neck. “It’s been so long since we could bask in your elegance…”

“Does he seem in a merciful mood?”

Both men paused, blinking, and Hikari leveled them with a closed off, steel-hard stare.

“My future husband. Does he seem in a merciful mood as of late, or are you hoping for a particularly creative death?”

Quilinus went particularly pale behind his heavy braided beard, and Giovanni pulled back his hand as if scalded, a brittle smile slapped in place.

“Oh, there’s no need to inform anyone of such innocent musings!” He quickly brushed off, gesturing down the hall. “We’re merely here to escort you, Heartfilia-sama, not cause any fuss!”

There was a beat of silence, and then Hikari continued on her way, heart tight in her chest from being forced to stay calm.

 _Conceal, don’t feel_ , she reminded herself, fingertips numb. _Conceal, don’t feel_...

Stepping onto the barque’s deck, Hikari froze in place.

The gate was an extravagant work of silver filigree and deceptively-delicate cross-hatched bars, rising up from the water in complex constellations around sturdy doors, the gates arching into a five-pointed star…

"What's wrong, poppet?" Xandra wondered, smile like a knife that Hikari felt sliding between her ribs. "I thought you would be happy to see them again."

The next breath in shook hard, vision blurring from repressed tears, but she said nothing.

Just stared up at the dull gleam of bleached bone against silver in the afternoon light.


	40. Heartfilia Arc: Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> I know this chapter came out later than usual, but it's here! I decided to start a more forgiving schedule, to keep from burning myself out, so I'll be updating every other Saturday from now on. 
> 
> In the meantime, I'll have plenty of other stuff for you guys to read! I have a prompt-event on Tumblr (https://dragonprincess18.tumblr.com/) you all can participate in, the results eventually migrating over here, either in 'Courtship Of A Dragon' (for smut) or the soon-to-be-up 'The Dragon That Will Pierce The Heavens: Behind The Scenes' (for general). Those two will eventually be updated in other ways, too! I hope you like all of it!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

“Oh, it’s okay, Momoo…”

Law blinked up at the blubbering sea-cow that had collapsed on the ship’s figurehead, Merry perched on his head and patting gently on a horn.

“We’ll get her back soon, don’t cry…”

“What the fuck?” Kid voiced, just as confused, as Gina passed them with a huff.

“Meet Momoo, the biggest baby mom ever adopted. Oi, Merry! Get the fuck down here!”

“I like it up here!”

“You’re a fucking _anchor_ now, not a ship!”

“Luffy sits here all the time!”

“Dad’s a _fucking moron_ that pop is always fishing out of the water, what kinda argument is that?!”

Robin hid a smile at the various befuddled expressions on their ship’s deck, and Sabo sighed as Luffy popped over a shoulder, frowning.

“I’m not a moron! I’m an idiot!”

“Luffy, you’re not helping yourself.” Zoro drawled, slitting an eye open from where he was resting against the mast.

“Where’d she even _get_ a sea-cow?” Shachi wondered, and Nami giggled.

“Oh, from the Arlong Pirates, back in East Blue. She thinks he’s adorable.”

“Momoo really is very nice.” Vivi assured, misinterpreting their silence as wariness, and Karoo nodded.

“And strong!” Chopper added, flopping onto Lassoo’s head with a smile as Sora nodded proudly. “He can get us there twice as fast as any ship!”

“Yeah! Momoo, let’s get going already!” Usopp encouraged, and the sea-cow tipped his head in a nod, toppling a shrieking Merry into Gina’s arms.

“You’ll need this.” Sabo voiced, pulling out an Eternal Pose, which Nami accepted with a grin before moving towards the bow with Bepo and Wire in tow, the three navigators working out the best route to take as everyone else gathered around the revolutionary.

“Now then, the plan for our arrival is simple. We’ll approach from the eastern side, and Franky-san assures me that we have more than enough firepower to blow through the gate there.”

“SUPER firepower!” The cyborg shipwright corrected, earning a kick from Sanji.

“Sit down, damn it!”

“Unfortunately, passing the gate is the easiest part.” Sabo warned, gesturing to the large, detailed map that Lily had finished setting up on a tripod stand. “The entire island is a densely-populated city of slaves, separated from the palace by a wall. Once we pass that, there's more open space for them to see us coming. Trafalgar-san?”

Tipping his hat in acknowledgement, Law stepped forward, using the hilt of Kikoku to gesture at the map.

“As Sabo-ya said, the closer we get to the center, the more unwise it is to have a large group for them to target. We'll break through on the eastern shore, and most of you will hold the gate here while a strike force enters the palace grounds to take down the Star Guard and retrieve Hikari-ya. Killer-ya, you and Bepo will be joining Sabo-ya in holding the gate with both of our crews and the children.”

The First Mate of the Kid Pirates inclined his head, the polar bear Mink snapping a salute as he returned, and Gina scowled from where she had plopped down next to Chopper.

“Oh, come on! Don’t I get to stab one of those assholes?!”

“You’re still grounded after that stunt you pulled in Enies Lobby.” Zoro reminded her, and Kid snickered at her affronted glare.

“Come on, we can kick ass and take names!” Merry argued, and Nami nearly gave herself whiplash.

“Where do you keep getting knives from?!”

“I’m not telling you, you’ll take them away!”

“Don’t worry, Merry, I’ll make you something cooler than a knife. How’s a hammer sound?”

“YOU AREN’T HELPING, GINA!”

“That’s what happens when you don’t let me cut people!”

A hand sprouted from her shoulder, pulling sharply at an ear, and Gina yelped at the sudden pain before subsiding into a sulk, Merry pouting as she handed her knives to Robin.

“Ah, but what are we gonna do against the Logia?” Chopper wondered, which brought the snickering pirates up short. “Most things don’t hurt them, right? But back in Alabasta, Hikari was able to hit Crocodile because she’s a dragon, so…”

“Your iron still works on them though, right?!” Usopp worried, and Gina shrugged.

“Yeah, but you’d have to get pretty damn close.”

As the sharpshooter almost collapsed in a blubbering heap, Vivi shuffled in place, lower lip held tight between her teeth.

“And you need someone who knows the layout of the palace.” Lily spoke up, glaring at Sabo’s immediate sputtering disapproval. “Or you’ll end up lost! It’s made to be confusing for outsiders! Leaving us behind is stupid!”

“We all have a bit of dragon-iron on us now.” Sanji reasoned, tapping his own reinforced shoes on the deck. “And can find our way with a map.”

“But they have a point.” Franky voiced, earlier light-hearted fun gone. “You all saw what those three did back on Enies Lobby. Now isn’t the time to be holding back, not when we’re going into the stronghold of a World Noble.”

Sabo frowned, unhappy with the thought, but Luffy turned to Law with a serious gaze.

“They’re strong.”

The doctor considered this quietly, glancing towards Gina and Chopper and Sora with the memory of their battle against Kumadori fresh in his mind before his gaze landed on Lily.

“...Fine.” Law decided, pinning each of them with a yellow-gold glare that even had Merry straighten to attention. “You all stay with at least one of us, and don’t fight anyone alone. Understood?”

“Understood!” They answered immediately, reminded vividly of Hikari when someone misbehaved.

“If we try to keep them away, they’re likely to sneak after us and end up in worse trouble.” Law reasoned at the revolutionary’s scowl, shrugging. “You saw the footage yourself.”

There was no arguing with that, really, and Sabo knew at least that much.

 _After all, one of their fathers was Luffy_.

“Never thought I’d like brats, but they’ve got her priorities straight.” Kid approved, and Killer swallowed down a snort of laughter when a disembodied hand smacked his captain upside the head. “OI!”

“Trafalgar-san?” Robin prompted mildly, the threat of a repeat keeping anyone else from laughing, and Law quirked a brow before nodding.

“Eustass-ya and I will go with the rest of the Straw Hats into the palace. The main objective is retrieving Hikari-ya, which means-”

“I’m gonna kick all their-”

Luffy’s shout was summarily muffled by Sabo’s palm, the revolutionary sighing.

“Apologies, Trafalgar-san. Please, continue.”

Shachi snickered as his captain rubbed the bridge of his nose with a sigh, Penguin elbowing him hard to keep from getting too loud.

 _Hikari-ya must have the patience of a saint_ , Law concluded, already feeling a headache forming.

“Nico-ya will be able to help with locating Hikari-ya, given her talents. With my Room, I should be able to enter and retrieve her without much fuss. The hard part will be keeping the Star Guard from interfering.”

“We’ll take care of them.” Zoro replied, hard as steel, and Sanji flicked his lighter pointedly.

“They got the drop on us once, but it won’t happen again.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The city that sprawled down to Estrella’s shoreline was a dichotomy of perception and reality.

On first glance, a newcomer would be dazzled by the bright colors and silver filigree and neat, orderly streets, the people all dressed in muted grays or pearly tones as they walked about like schools of fish slipping from place to place, a vision of diversity.

The market was full of exotic fish and spices and meat, the shops boasting all sorts of blown glass pieces and delicate instruments and detailed artwork...

But underneath that thin veneer of peace, there was darkness.

The entire city was _quiet_ , as if muffled under a great weight, no one daring to raise their voices above hoarse whispers even when haggling over prices of salmon or a set of dishes, eyes downcast at the first glint of armor or flash of gold.

Hikari knew that those newcomers would never see the residential district, where the colors were more faded and no one dared step out into direct line of sight, homes packed full of people but little else.

Wheels gliding over well-polished cobblestones, she avoided looking out the carriage windows where everyone had dropped into deep bows, the golden interior with its plush seats and glittering glass a self-contained cage from one form of captivity to another.

“Are you happy to be back, Heartfilia-sama?”

The pinkette purposely did not even glance towards Rexlord at his words, gaze fixing on a glittering chandelier.

Metal-encased fingers curled around her hands, attempting to thread between her own, and Hikari tensed at the insistent press of a body on one side, a warm breath spreading goosebumps down her neck.

“So cold, my princess...Have you forgotten your knight so quickly, Heartfilia-sama?”

“You’re not my knight.” She responded steadily, gaze turning in a firm glare. “And I’m not your princess.”

“Every princess has a brave knight.” Rexlord retorted smoothly, grabbing her chin firmly in one hand.

“It’s not you.” Hikari denied, a flash of swords and well-worn straw bubbling up.

“Rex.”

Xandra’s voice was sharp now, and he pulled back abruptly, head whipping around to the door at realizing they had stopped moving.

“What did he tell you? You’re not to touch anymore.”

“Of course, captain.” He apologized immediately, shuffling back under his superior’s watchful eyes. “My apologies.”

“Switch with Cynere.” She decided, stepping back. “You’ve had a long enough break.”

With murmured agreement, the blonde quickly stepped out, and Hikari turned her attention to a star-blown glass lamp as the swordswoman appeared on the opposite bench with a smirk.

The door closed with a decisive CLICK, and they set off again, soundless and smooth like a well-oiled machine.

“Still popular as ever, Heartfilia-sama.” She teased, light eyes flashing cruelly. “Your husband will have a lot of trouble keeping all the wandering hands away.”

The pinkette focused on the delicate swirl of a shooting star in the glass, trying to forget the sight of a sharp blade pressing a line of red into Luffy’s throat.

One jailer was the same as another.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Plowing through the water in Momoo’s wake, sails taut in a strong breeze, the ship raced towards Estrella at top speed as the crews prepared for the battle ahead.

“Oh, these are amazing!” Vivi gushed, expertly flicking the dragon-iron discs around so the sharpened, dull-grey ends pierced a makeshift target like arrowheads. “They’re even better than my Peacock Slashers!”

“Figured you’d need something better against Devil’s Fruit users.” Gina shrugged off, petting Funkfreed’s head when the elephant-Zoan took on his hybrid form with a huff. “Not too heavy?”

“No, these are perfect.” The princess assured, glancing over in concern to see Zoro frowning down at a sheathed Yubashiri. “Ah…”

Grumbling, the Iron Dragon shared a look with her sword before heading over, peripherally aware of Robin sharpening her claws while chatting with Killer about their coming assault on Estrella and Kid enthusiastically showing Merry how to properly wield a knife, much to Usopp’s dismay.

“Here, pop.”

The swordsman quirked a brow at the trunk offered to him, and Gina glanced away, shoulders curling in.

“You need three swords, right? Funkfreed’ll go with you.”

Studying her a moment, Zoro reached up to grab the elephant-sword by the neck, spinning Funkfreed as he took on sword-form with hilt resting comfortably against his palm.

“...That wasn’t your fault.”

Gina scowled, remembering how Yubashiri had rusted right through, before a heavy hand dropped on her hair.

“Thanks.”

A startled yelp drew everyone’s attention around, Lily stumbling away from the sparking keys in Luffy’s hand, and Sabo jerked back at a bright flash-

“I’d put those down if I were you.” Leo advised, gesturing to the floating knives and guns around Kid, the menacing pipe in Sabo’s hand, and the half-drawn nodachi Law had paused in unsheathing as Aquarius straightened next to him, expression stern. “We’re on your side.”

“Leo?!” Chopper squeaked, closing his refilled bag as Lassoo barked in surprise. “ _Aquarius_?!”

“What the hell is taking you brats so long?” Aquarius demanded, tail slapping hard on the deck and nearly pitching the ship sideways. “Do you know what kind of trouble Kari can get into when she’s like this?!”

“Now, Aquarius, Momoo can only swim so fast-”

The light seemed to dim, and most of the assembled pirates went pale at the rather large wave suspended overhead, the crest looking very much like a hungry maw, and Leo eyed this quietly for a moment.

“...I’ll just stand over here and let you sort things out then.”

“Yeah, you do that.”

“Aquarius-chan!” Sanji greeted, torn between tears and pretty-woman-joy as the lion-Spirit backed up with both hands raised, and Nami knocked him hard with her Perfect Clima-Tact.

“Don’t even start!”

“What the fuck?” Kid burst, more than a few of his crew clearly uneasy, as Merry peeked around him.

“I thought Celestial Spirits couldn’t summon themselves.” Sabo elaborated more eloquently, and Robin smiled from where she sat next to a tense Killer.

“Ah, it seems Leo-san’s special ability isn’t so well-known after all.”

“As leader of the Zodiac, I’m afforded special privileges.” The Spirit explained, gesturing to Aquarius as her eyes rolled. “One of which is to open my own Gate. With a little effort, I can open another if needed."

“Aquarius-ya.” Law spoke up, eyes narrowed and thoughtful, as Sora peered around his legs curiously. “What do you mean, when Hikari-ya ‘gets like this’?”

Zoro frowned, spinning Funkfreed into his sheath, as Aquarius eyed the Heart Captain.

"I _mean_ when she gets it in her head that every wrong in the world is her fault and she deserves to suffer for all of them, because my brat can be a _fucking stubborn idiot_ that's too fucking nice for her own health. And when she’s like this, she’ll let them _hurt her_.”

Whatever smile had worked onto Luffy’s face fell away rather suddenly, and Zoro gripped Sandai Kitetsu’s hilt tight to keep the bloodlust down, Gina’s low growl a deeper pitch than the one Lassoo made.

“Please tell me this isn’t going to be Skypiea all over again.” Nami pleaded, and Franky turned to her with a frown, arms crossed.

“What happened in Skypiea?”

“We don’t speak about Skypiea!” Usopp squeaked out, arms flailing into an ‘x’. “Skypiea is a forbidden topic! Kari said if we ever brought up Skypiea, she’d keelhaul us into a mass of hungry Sea Kings!”

“Well, now I wanna know what the fuck happened on Skypiea.” Kid admitted gruffly, and Merry leveled him with a blank look.

“Trust me, you really don’t.”

“Especially since this will be _worse_.” Aquarius nearly hissed. “You don’t know what that bastard’s done.”

“I don’t want to know.” Usopp whimpered, wringing his Kabuto as Sanji suddenly lurched back to his feet. “I really, _really_ don’t want to know…”

“WHAT DID THAT LOWLIFE DEGENERATE DO TO HIKARI-HIME!?!”

“Oh god, I’m going to know now…”

The way Leo glanced away, shifting side to side in his shoes, rang alarm bells in Luffy’s brain.

 _That was the same look Pantherlily got when they discovered that bruise on Hikari’s back, all the way back in Orange Town_.

Aquarius seemed to size all of them up for a moment, dark eyes tumultuous as a stormy sea, before deflating somewhat on a sigh.

“...You know I’m her first Spirit. What Kari never told you was that she first summoned me when she was four years old...the day her older brother drowned.”

…

“I was right.” Usopp blubbered, Merry squeaking when she was suddenly picked up so the sniper could cry into her dress. “I don’t want to know…”

“Oh my god…” Nami choked out, Luffy’s arms wrapping thrice around Sabo’s torso as Sanji deflated, wide-eyed and horrified. “She was practically a baby…”

Franky was already bawling, crushing most of the Heart Pirates in a hug as if to hide his tears, and Vivi fell back against Karoo’s side as Gina released a soft, wounded sound.

“I hadn’t had a key-holder for about thirty years…” Aquarius remembered, tail twisting anxiously. “I was only aware of vague things. Someone picking up my key, strong feelings...But he was different. Not a key-holder, he didn’t have the spark, but he was...desperate. Only seven, and he loved his sister more than anything in the world.”

Law’s grip on his nodachi was tight as a vice, eyes shadowed by the brim of his hat, Shachi and Penguin trying to keep from bawling as Ikkaku pat at a sniffling Bepo’s arm.

“I think that’s why he went to the water that day.” The mermaid-Spirit remembered, eyes hollow and haunted. “He had been trying for days to open my Gate, just absolutely felt he _needed_ to summon me at all costs...But he got caught in a riptide, pulled out to open water, and he couldn’t...And then she _screamed_.”

Robin’s hands shook, that moment back on the Going Merry with a porcelain tub and warmed saltwater and a sad smile coming back in vivid detail.

“ ** _I didn’t realize before how much your eyes remind me of my brother’s...Back then...I didn’t know how much he was struggling, how afraid he was…_** ”

“She was so _small_...and she jumped in after him, the crazy brat. The moment she touched my key, I came through, ripped them out of the water...but it was too late.”

“ ** _I couldn’t save him. But I’m going to save you._** ”

“And do you know what that bastard said?” Aquarius hissed, black hate in her eyes as she met Luffy’s steady gaze. “When he came and found his son dead, and his daughter in tears, begging him to wake up? _It should have been you_.”

Chopper sobbed, big fat tears rolling down his face that he hid in Lassoo’s fur, and Sora released a high keen that made every person on the ship want to hit something, Lily almost falling to her knees.

Kid was cursing up a storm, kicking over a nearby barrel in a flash of rage because _why did it keep getting worse_ , and Killer quietly stopped said barrel with a boot, noting how agitated their crew was getting.

Merciless killers, the lot of them, but messing with kids?

 _Murdering_ kids?

That was a line too far.

“The worst part is that she _believes him_.” Aquarius nearly howled, the ocean raging around them. “And when her mother got sick...In the blink of an eye, the only two people who would have told her otherwise were dead, and she thought it was _all her fault_!”

Zoro felt like his heart was squeezing, remembering that quiet moment in Loguetown, the shadows of an alleyway hiding them from the world.

“ ** _My mom died when I was small...She got sick, and...I didn’t really understand. She tried to hide it, but at the end...At the end, I promised I’d fulfill my dream for both of us._** ”

“Don’t you get it?! That brat thinks her life isn’t worth anything compared to anyone else’s! What does it matter to her if she gets stabbed or shot or burned, if it means none of us get hurt?!”

Usopp froze, moments flashing through his mind from when Hikari was thrown at Kaya while paralyzed by poison to when she attacked the Arlong Pirates for threatening Genzo to when she demanded they go to Alabasta even while dying from that Kestia bite after Little Garden to when she made sure they got away from Crocodile in Rainbase to when she _flew a ticking time bomb away from Alubarna_ -

Nami was replaying that scene back in Arlong Park, tears falling.

“ ** _You would have just_ given _me a hundred million beli?_** ” “ ** _Yes...You make it sound like I haven’t dealt with ego-maniacal tyrants before. You’re nakama, Nami. I want to help you._** ”

Merry remembered vividly the words that had been said in her defense, fierce and desperate, curling tight around Usopp’s head.

“ ** _The Merry came all this way to save us! Every step of the way, she’s been there for us...And I won’t let her die like this! Not when we have a way to save her, too! So, please! PLEASE, HELP MERRY!_** ”

“So you lot are getting your asses there _right now_ to get her back!” Aquarius growled, and it was like a pin dropped.

“Wait, wha-?”

And with a swing of her urn, the lion-headed ship went flying as the Spirits faded back through their Gates.

“HOLY FUCK-”

Everyone scrambled for some sort of handhold, Sabo grabbing Lily up under the arms before she slid right between the railings, and Kilala flashed into her nekomata-form to secure Sora moments before they landed.

HARD.

Zoro cursed as seawater sprayed every which way, arm tight around Gina even when iron spikes secured her to the deck, Killer straightening from where he had mostly managed to shield Robin to see a large silver gate coming into view.

“We’re here.”

“Fuck, we are?!” Kid groused, dropping Usopp back on his feet.

“Hey, it’s the gate!” Luffy realized, snapping Sabo and Lily back into an upright position as Shachi and Penguin sat up, Chopper and Lassoo in their laps. “What’re those things on it?”

On closer inspection, the others realized what he meant.

The entire gate was like a beacon, light flashing off the surface and arching up into a five-pointed star, all this blinding silver...

Except...

Sora released a sharp sound like she had been kicked, and Gina began to curse, a hand slapping over her nose as Lassoo snorted and pawed at his own, Kilala rearing back in outrage.

“They _didn’t_ -”

Sanji realized what was happening moments later.

“Bones.”

And indeed, five skeletons hung from the five-pointed star over the archway, already bleaching white in the sun.

Looking over them, Luffy realized immediately that none of them were human.

One was even bigger than Bepo, with a heavy canid head and paws tipped in long claws, while another had delicate bones falling from their arms like fins, certain bones too long and head such an awkward, angular shape as to only be a fishman.

Bear, ray-finned fish, horse, swordfish, dog...

A wet sob yanked Luffy’s attention down, Sabo moving quickly to support her weight when Lily’s knees gave out.

“Yasuo-sama...Den-sama...Everyone is…”

The realization came like a cannon barreling into their guts.

And her words came back in sharp clarity.

“ ** _I...I wished too selfishly. I wanted so badly to keep travelling with all of you...see all of you achieve your dreams...that I ignored all the risks. I love you so much...so I have to go. I’m sorry._** ”

“Hikari-hime…” Sanji breathed, old grief on his face. “When she saw this, it must have broken her heart.”

“How could he?” Vivi forced out, voice growing hard as the Straw Hats’ pain morphed into outrage. “After everything he did, _how could he_?”

“Never again.” Nami swore, iron-clouds pouring out of her Perfect Clima-Tact to rear up like a stormfront.

Nodding, Usopp clicked his goggles into place and fired off a pair of Super Smoke Stars at each tower before the scrambling knights could load their cannons, screams echoing when an Iron Thunderbolt Tempo struck once, twice against the metal.

“Never again.”

Expression carved out of granite, Franky opened a secret compartment in the prow and stepped inside, Kid perking up at the secret compartment hidden behind the figurehead with some sort of machinery, a targeting screen, and a series of levers.

“Cola energy now charging.”

The lion’s mouth opened suddenly, revealing a cannon, the ship churning as it’s creator locked onto their target.

“Charge complete.”

A press of a button, and everyone saw a light start coalescing, eyes going wide.

“GAON CANNON!”

The force nearly threw even Sabo off his feet, this blinding flash tearing through the gate, the coral, _the shoreline_ -

Luffy’s eyes lit up with feral joy once the starbursts faded to reveal a straight path to their target, and Franky turned to all three crews with a shark-wide smile.

“Never again, right? Then let’s get to it.”

Vicious glee spread like wildfire, weapons already in hand, and Kid cracked his knuckles as Law glanced towards the Straw Hat Supernovas with a quirked brow while Momoo roared and charged forward.

“Anything you’d like to say before we start, Mugiwara-ya?”

Eyes meeting, Zoro smirked as he stepped up to the ship’s bow with Wado between his teeth, Luffy hopping off Sabo’s shoulders to join him as chaos erupted on land, men in matching gray armor rushing to meet the approaching pirate ship.

“Yeah! Don’t hold back! Gum Gum-”

“Three Hundred Pound-”

“CANNON!” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The castle that overlooked Estrella was like out of a fairy tale, all shining gold towers and arches, glittering stained glass windows depicting constellations in a night sky sitting on either side of an imposing drawbridge-style door that was lowered over a mote.

Bananagators, imported from Alabasta, peered out of the water below as Hikari crossed with even, deliberate steps, gaze fixed ahead into the entrance hall.

Vaulted ceilings boasted shards of diamonds to recreate the night sky, the floors a polished gold-veined marble leading up to a pair of curving staircases, perfectly symmetrical, doors hidden in the walls where most would pass over them in favor of tapestries and vases and well-polished busts.

And in the middle of all this opulence was Heartfilia Jomei.

Standing at an imposing six feet, broad-shouldered and solid, dark blue eyes like glacial ice in a pale face and blonde hair slicked neatly back, only a few shades lighter than the expertly-tailored golden suit he wore, he was like the snowy plateaus of Drum all over again.

Coming to a stop just inside, Hikari kept her gaze on polished gold-toned oxfords, breath forcibly calm and heartbeat steady.

“Are you done throwing a tantrum?”

She said nothing, a rock jutting stubbornly from stormy waters, waiting for the clouds to break.

“Much as it pains me, you are a Heartfilia, one of the twenty families that united the world.” He intoned coldly, grey clouds rolling in with a rumble of thunder. “Heartfilias do not go running off to play _pirate_.”

Disgust bubbled underneath his level voice, flashes of lightning, and Hikari had to surreptitiously bite her tongue.

“Luckily, he found your little rebellion ‘adorable’. Preparations are already underway on his end.”

Adjusting the cufflinks and sleeves of his neatly-pressed white dress-shirt, Jomei turned away without a backwards glance as a russet-furred fox Mink and a pale-blue, fan-finned betta fishwoman stepped out of a nearby door in matching dull-gray uniforms.

His parting words were as devastating as a guillotine.

“By tomorrow morning, you’ll be on a ship to Dressrosa. Don’t embarrass me again.”


	41. Heartfilia Arc: Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Okay, so this is the last of the really heavy backstory, I promise. From here on out, it's kicking ass and taking names! I promise!  
> *hides behind Luffy*
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

Watching the Straw Hats steamroll through Enies Lobby was a wholly different experience than joining them in storming Estrella.

It was as if pure fury had turned this somewhat quirky, dramatic crew of pirates into demons out for blood, and the unsuspecting knights in their way stood no chance of even slowing them down.

“Cherry Blossom Haze!”

“Sunflower Star!”

Fire blazed down the thoroughfare in a hungry rush, men screaming as they effectively roasted in their armor, and there was a roar as Kilala tore through the air overhead, Usopp expertly firing off another round of shots from his spot on her back as the flames died enough to allow another wave of knights through.

“Swamp Tempo: Quagmire!”

The siege cried out, sinking into the wet layer of clouds and tripping up those behind them in a clang of metal.

“Weapons Left!”

“Aperitif!”

“Cherry Blossom Barrage!”

“Seventy-Two Pound Raven!”

“Sky Dragon’s Wing Attack!”

Those that managed to sneak around the main street, and this frontal assault, in an attempt to attack from the alleys did not fare any better than their comrades.

“Gum Gum Gatling!”

“Oni Giri!”

“Punk Rotten!”

“Shambles!”

“Ochenta Fleur! Clutch!”

“Script!”

Lily clapped her palms together in a prayer-like pose, focusing her ability.

“STAFF!”

Her hands separated, and the word materialized in bold font, elongating into a proper staff that she whipped around to smash an attacking knight’s helmet in.

Peacock Slashers spinning, Vivi sliced through another two that came from the opposite side, Karoo ducking under Bepo’s kick that sent a third flying, Killer almost dancing between them to bring his spinning blades through chest-plates.

Shachi did a double-take when a charging knight fell with a scream, the poleax that had dug deep in his back being yanked out by a cackling Merry.

“BRING IT ON, BITCHES!”

In any other situation, seeing the Revolutionary’s Chief of Staff toting around a little goat-girl Zoan like a backpack would have been hilarious, but even restrained back-to-back like she was, said Zoan had made it clear that nothing would stop her from wreaking bloody havoc so long as her arms were free.

Honestly, the fact Sabo hardly seemed to notice was even more frightening, pipe spinning in his hands as he tore through armor like tissue paper.

“I’m _so_ glad we’re on their side.” Penguin voiced, more than a few of his crew-mates nodding in agreement.

Law noted this absently, his focus more on the surrounding buildings and rooftops, a frown forming.

There had been an expectation of enemies, certainly, but the lack of bystanders was rather a big surprise.

To not see a single unarmed person…

“USOPP!”

Nami’s shout heralded a faint whistling and then a THWACK, Kid blinking at the sight of a bullet mashed up by a lead pellet as they rolled across the cobblestones ahead of him.

Usopp’s scowl was fierce as anything, goggles gleaming, as his gaze turned to where the shot had come from.

Faster than most people could take a breath, his Kabuto snapped once, twice, thrice in rapid succession, and Zoro noted the three intercepted bullets mildly, Law quirking a brow as one came to a stop against Luffy’s sandal to his right.

There had barely been a hiss to signal the shots, which meant Mirke was likely at that mile-and-a-half maximum distance, and the sniper had not only anticipated her actions, but fired his own pellets with such precision as to intercept them.

Sniper King, indeed.

“Not this time!” Usopp declared, and Kilala snarled as she weaved through the multi-story buildings in a gush of hellfire. “I’ll take care of her! Keep going!”

“Beat her up, Usopp!” Gina shouted, snapping a knight’s sword off in her fangs before kicking his teeth in.

“MAKE HER SORRY FOR HURTING LASSOO!”

The dog-gun on Chopper’s shoulder grated out a bark around another explosive round, and Franky turned while smacking a steel-reinforced fist into a man’s face.

“Keep your eyes open! Those guys know we’re here now!”

“Nico-ya.” Law called, Kikoku spinning lazily in his hand.

The former assassin nodded, arms crossing as Zoro and Sanji closed in to guard her.

“Ojos Fleur!”

Eyes sprouted around corners and through walls, peering into the buildings surrounding them and along alleyways and over a massive golden gate…

Robin cocked her head, alert, and pointed ahead to an upcoming side-street. \

“This way.”

“We’ll keep heading towards the gate.” Sabo decided, Killer slicing down a knight that had accidentally skewered himself on Merry’s poleax.

“You all go on ahead.”

“We’ll be fine, captain!” Shachi assured with a thumb’s up, Wire turning from where he had tossed a man with his trident.

“We’ve got this.”

“Let’s go!” Luffy ordered, barreling right through a half-assembled barricade of enemies without even pausing.

“Wait for us!” Nami snapped, throwing out another layer of swamp-clouds as Karoo scrambled to catch up.

“Wait, what?! I’m going, too!” Merry shouted, flailing in her bindings. “Fuck-DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT ME!”

“Fucking boring, anyway.” Kid grumbled, tossing a few of the knights aside without even a glance as he took off after him and the other Straw Hats. “Hurry up, Trafalgar!”

“GET THE FUCK BACK HERE! I WANNA CHOP THOSE ASSHOLES, TOO!”

With a roll of the eyes, Law followed them after making sure Bepo and Killer had joined Sabo in spear-heading their crews, Kikoku held low and behind in case of any surprises.

A few well-placed arms, and Robin took the lead from her headstrong captain, taking sharp turns deep into the winding maze of buildings without pause.

There was a gasp, Lily stumbling a step before Gina caught her around the hips, and Law saw a door open moments before the archeologist reached it, a hitch in his step when they passed a small dark-blue guppy fishman holding the barrier open.

Then a secret compartment in the wall slid open thanks to a squid fishwoman, and they came out into another alleyway, a mouse mink shoving aside a facade of boxes that was actually a doorway through a silver fence.

“Who are these guys?” Luffy wondered, though he did not so much as hesitate to slide around a corner after Robin.

“The servants…” Lily managed to say, catching her feet as a gazelle mink pointed them down a short tunnel that led to a mostly-empty storage building where a blue tang fishman directed the group down and out onto a lower street, a golden wall suddenly in sight and gleaming. “They’re from the castle…”

“Where were they when we arrived?” Sanji wondered, Chopper taking on his Walk Point to keep up with the pace while dog-Lassoo clung to his back.

“Preparing the way.” Robin answered simply, a half-buried door opening to reveal a gray-furred rabbit mink, her dress blending in seamlessly.

“Mai-sama!” Lily realized, and the mink smiled, gesturing the pirates into the dark below.

“This way! Before anyone sees you!”

Grabbing Zoro by the arm before he veered off, Nami threw him down the steps ahead of her, chaotic footfalls echoing off close walls as the Straw Hats and their allies skidded to a halt when the heavy door closed with a SLAM.

After a moment, an electric lamp was lit, throwing shadows across Mai’s fur and nearly dazzling their eyes.

“Follow me.”

“Who the fuck are you?” Kid demanded, and Sanji turned to him with a scowl, though the small mink hardly batted an eyelash at his harsh tone.

“The head housekeeper. These are the servant’s corridors, if you were wondering that, too.”

“Why are you helping us?” Vivi voiced before the cook could work himself up into a valiant temper, Karoo squawking softly under his breath while ruffling his feathers. “Isn’t it dangerous for you?”

“Anything worth doing is dangerous, isn’t it?” Mai replied serenely, patting at Lily’s hair when the young teenager sniffled. “We all knew that when we first helped Hikari-sama escape. We’re ready to run the risk again. Now, come this way.”

“So you’re gonna take us to where Kari is, right?” Luffy summarized, looping an arm around Zoro to tug him along.

“Yes. These passages don’t reach there, but I can get you into the castle without being spotted.”

“Which saves us a lot of worry about getting through the front gate.” Robin noted, tipping her head towards Law. “Right, Trafalgar-san?”

“This gives us the advantage of surprise, if we can locate them.” He agreed, Sora’s ears twitching as she cooed up to Gina.

“I got it.”

Knocking her knuckles on the wall, the Iron Dragon paused, head cocked just so as if listening to the vibration travel…

“Giant bastard is in a big room on the ground floor. Flat asshole is on the second floor, in a library. That mist guy...out back, in a garden. Bitch with the naginata is on the fourth floor in a room on the far side. The one with the sword is on the top floor...and the head bitch is in front of a tower. Mom’s there.”

Gina frowned, as if there was something strange, before shrugging it off at Kid's impressed snort.

"How the fuck did you do that?"

"By being fucking awesome." She snarked, ducking away from Nami's reprimanding smack as Lily's cheeks puffed up in thought.

“They must not know we’re here yet...or think Lady Mirke would be able to kill us without any trouble.”

“Nothing could stop me from saving Hikari-hime!” Sanji claimed, bursting into dramatic flames before Nami’s Perfect Clima-Tact smacked him upside the head.

“Quit it!”

“Usopp will take care of her!” Chopper assured, Lasso chuffing in agreement. “So we’ll take care of the rest!”

“We’ll come across Sir Quilinus and Sir Giovanni first.” Mai noted, heading off on a curving right-hand turn, and Vivi urged Karoo into step with the mink.

“Mai-sama...You became the head housekeeper fairly recently, right?”

“Yes.” The rabbit-mink answered after a moment, eyes glittering in the light of her lantern. “Yasuo-sama insisted that he and the others take full blame for enabling Hikari-sama’s escape, and what happened during it.”

“What happened?” Franky asked, Sora weaving around his legs to get closer, ears twitching upright.

Mai actually stuttered a step, turning to the group in surprise.

“You...of course Hikari-sama wouldn’t mention it.” She muttered the last bit more to herself than to any of them, almost resigned, while resuming her earlier brisk pace. “Nico-san, I’m sure you noticed it earlier.”

The archaeologist nodded, expression stoic.

“I confirmed it on our way. Of all the citizens on this island...there isn’t a single child.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The room was almost exactly the same as when Hikari had last stepped inside.

A bed sat to the right of the door, a large king-sized monstrosity of golden duvets and pillows with a heavy golden-oak frame and matching, gauzy curtains that fell gracefully to the lush pale carpet.

There was a window seat off to the left, in front of a wide pane of thick glass threaded through with golden bars and surrounded by high shelves full of books, and an even more extravagant vanity than on the ship, with twice as many vials and bottles and tubes.

But Hikari barely noticed any of that.

Because sitting in the center of the room, blocking another barred window, was a massive glass tank of water...

With two merchildren inside.

The liquid sloshed dangerously as they immediately pulled back, dark eyes wide and terrified, and Hikari’s cracked-open heart splintered further apart.

“I’m sorry, Hikari-sama.” The fox mink, Tadao, voiced from behind her, ears tilting back and tail tucked low. “He decided that the delay necessitated an...apology.”

She glanced back at him, eyes hollow and sad.

“You mean he thought it was necessary to punish me.”

A rapid series of clicks returned her attention to the children, expression softening and tension draining.

“Oh, it’s okay…” Hikari soothed, a low purr rumbling out of her chest. “I’m not gonna hurt you…”

After a moment, the oldest turned to fully shield the other, orange-black-white striped tail flicking anxiously and fins flared wide as she peeked out.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Hikari.” The pinkette answered gently, aching inside at the bright orange of their hair as the mermaid drifted closer cautiously. “What’s your name?”

“...Ariel. And this is Naia.”

The other peeked around her friend, and Hikari noticed immediately that something was off.

Unlike Ariel, who had a scaled tail like a clownfish, Naia’s was smooth grey skin with a lighter underbelly that melted into the taupe-brown skin on her upper half, a contrast to the paler tawny shade of her friend.

“You…” Hikari realized, horror latching onto her guts. “You’re a dolphin.”

And dolphins _weren’t fish_.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“None?” Chopper squeaked out, nearly stumbling over his hooves as jaws dropped. “At all?”

“Is that weird?” Luffy stage-whispered, Zoro rolling his eyes as Nami face-palmed.

“Of course that’s weird! In a situation like this, especially without contraceptives…”

Law felt a tick in his jaw at the rubber-captain’s big, innocent eyes, and blew out a breath.

“Birth control, Mugiwara-ya. Something that would prevent the women from having children.”

“Oh, Kari told me about that!” He realized, nodding.

“There were other kids here when I was.” Lily butted in, almost exasperated.

“And there _were_ children on this island, until the night Hikari-sama escaped.” Mai continued, unable to help the amused tilt to her mouth. “She had made such a point over the years to make sure all of them were fed and safe...We should have known there was a second objective. After all, Lily-chan proved that her plans were viable.”

The bluenette shrugged at the sudden attention, tapping her fingers together almost shyly.

“Ah, well...A couple years ago, one of the knights caught me practicing with my powers, and there was some talk about what to do with me…”

Gina bared her fangs in a low growl, shoulders rolling, and Vivi squeezed at Nami’s hand when the navigator reached back.

 _Because a slave that could fight back was not a slave worth keeping alive_.

“Hikari-sama heard some of the rumors, and…”

Lily paused there, heart clenching.

“She seemed scared. The next night, I was snuck out of the castle and onto a merchant’s ship. I ended up on a Revolutionary-protected island after that.”

“So Kari did that again.” Zoro deduced, a curl of pride in his chest. “Just with every kid on the island.”

“Even pregnant and nursing mothers.” Mai confirmed. “Alongside her own boat, she made sure to supply two others on the northern side of the island, and had Aquarius send all three over the coral blockade when the knights realized what was happening. Hikari-sama risked her own escape to make sure they got away...Last I heard, they reached Fishman Island and Zou safely.”

Luffy started to smile, pulling on Zoro’s arm like a little kid, and Sanji was starting to float on a cloud of hearts as he twirled.

“Hikari-hime’s golden heart shines like a beacon on a stormy sea!”

“Fuck, is he always like this?” Kid complained, Nami wincing in agreement even as she started to smile, Chopper popping into his Brain Point to hop into Gina’s arms for a hug with Lassoo.

“Kari-chan’s always had a ‘saving people’ thing.”

Normally, Law would argue that pirates were not meant to have a ‘saving people thing’, but there was a little voice inside, one that had been quieted by poisoning and fire and death, that reminded him of a man that had given his life for a child that was not his own.

“Kari-san _is_ rather stubbornly kind.” Robin agreed, Franky nodding as he remembered his own underlings being helped even after the trouble they had caused for this unorthodox crew. “First saving Gina in Rainbase, then Sora in Skypiea, risking her life saving Merry and me at Enies Lobby…”

“You should’ve known better.” Luffy chuckled, Vivi nodding, feeling a swell of warmth from that moment at Whiskey Peak.

“ ** _Hey, it’s gonna be okay...Don’t worry, we’ll get you back to Alabasta. We’ll get you there._** ”

“It seems to be a rather strange rebellious reaction, given her upbringing.” Robin mused, a claw tapping against her lip. “Considering what happened to her brother…”

The lamplight faltered, Mai stuttering to a halt, and Kid almost bristled.

“...What do you know about dragons?”

Slow blinks, and the Straw Hats looked towards their remaining two dragons, the allied captains confused at this non-sequitur as Gina rolled her eyes.

“I fucking spent the last twelve years being trained as an assassin in a secret assassin organization to take over a country, and she was stuck in a closet for the last six years with a _cat_. We’re not exactly fucking authorities on dragons!”

“Wait, _what_?”

Kid nearly gave himself whiplash at this nonchalant declaration, and Law actually pulled up short at this blasé summary of such severely abusive childhoods from someone he still saw as a child.

“You think I got all these scars walking into corners?” The Iron Dragon retorted, hackles rising, and Kid nearly growled himself as he realized just _how many_ scars there actually were all across her exposed arms.

The old, layered one on her neck stuck in Law’s mind like a klaxon.

“To be honest, we really don’t know a lot about dragons.” Nami fretted, spinning her Perfect Clima-Tact in one hand as she considered the question. “I mean, there are different kinds, like Celestial and Fire and Iron and Sky...they get strength back from eating their element...their attacks can hurt Logias…”

“They can sometimes eat another element and be like mom!” Chopper reminded them, Lassoo nodding. “She’s a Lightning Celestial Dragon now!”

“Leo also said Hikari-hime’s family used to be Fire Dragons.” Sanji remembered, blowing out rings of smoke in thought.

“And I think that’s it…” Luffy muttered, frowning.

“It’s strange…” Robin noted, thoughts turning over like gears in her blue eyes. “From knowing Kari-san, Gina and Sora, it’s clear that dragons are very powerful even when young, and yet there are so few of them around? When I did research in Baroque Works on them, what snippets I found implied that dragons were very widespread and common knowledge, but now, most people doubt they ever existed…”

“To be honest, I was also under the impression that Hikari-ya was a Zoan.” Law admitted, shrugging at the disbelieving looks sent his way. “Like Kaido.”

“That’s what most people say.” Kid agreed, and Luffy swung around Zoro with an incredulous glare.

“Kari’s a real dragon! Just like Gina and Sora!”

“They believe that because the World Government wanted that to be true.” Mai explained, solemn. “Nearly twenty-five years ago, there were dragons all over the Grand Line. Dragneel, Redfox, Dreyar, Cheney, Eucliffe...Hundreds of clans, with members that went on to be marines or pirates at their leisure...Until the day that Gold Roger was executed.”

Zoro gripped tight to Sandai Kitetsu’s handle at the hollow, pained look in the rabbit-mink’s eyes.

“They called it The Purge.”

Robin went very quiet, flames reflecting in her eyes, and Vivi squeezed tight on Nami’s hand when she swayed, horrified.

“Nyoko-sama told Yasuo-sama some of what happened.” Mai continued, claws clicking against the lantern’s glass as her hands flexed. “She was a pirate of some renown at the time, sailing in the New World, but whispers of the Government’s plot reached her even before the Pirate King was captured, so Nyoko-sama returned home to help them. They thought perhaps the Government might try to strongarm them into joining their ranks...No one could have imagined that the Government planned to kill them.”

You could have heard a pin drop in the following silence, before Nami found her voice.

“But...Gina’s only fourteen. If the dragons were all killed twenty-four years ago…”

Mai was unable to look into their eyes, and Franky’s jaw ticked as Kid cracked his knuckles.

“It seems that there was a dual purpose. While the Government ordered for most of them to be killed...they also requested that as many women be captured alive as possible.”

“...I’m going to cut every last one of them apart.” Zoro stated darkly, Sanji bursting into flame.

“I’ll kick what’s left into ash.”

“What kind of _sick fuckers_ …” Kid hissed, Luffy gone quiet and still as his brain turned over what was said.

“It’s hardly surprising.” Law stated evenly, voice gone cold as ice. “The Government has wiped out islands for less. If they can gain more from destroying a possible enemy than making them an ally, they wouldn’t hesitate.”

“Kari wouldn’t have been taken.”

Luffy’s matter-of-fact tone brought everyone’s attention towards him, dark eyes hard and expression fiercely blank.

“If they came to kill all of us and take her anyway...Kari would have fought until she was dead.”

“ ** _If you draw a single drop of blood more from any of them, I’ll rip my own heart out before you can blink, and you’ll go back to him with_ nothing _._** ”

The memory sent a chill through the Straw Hats, Lassoo releasing a low whine.

“Never underestimate a mother that knows you’ve come for her children.” Mai agreed, shoulders straightening. “Especially a dragon. Countries have been razed and landscapes reshaped by the wrath of a mother-dragon when someone foolishly harmed one of her own, and this was no different. Most were killed, but a handful _did_ escape, going into hiding. Nyoko-sama...She was specifically targeted.”

“Why?” Robin wondered, tone chilled but carefully restrained.

“From what Yasuo-sama learned, the Heartfilia and Dragneel families had a connected history that made Heartfilia-sama believe…”

Mai paused, mulling over her words.

“He believed that mixing his bloodline, which was known for having a strong tendency towards key-holders, would influence the presentation of any dragon offspring from Fire to Celestial.”

“...Oh.” Vivi realized, sick to her stomach.

“He was right.” Gina voiced, fingertips numb. “Mom…”

“They call themselves Celestial Dragons.” Law noted, disgusted. “So of course the World Nobles would want to create the actual thing.”

“Yes.” The rabbit-mink acknowledged tightly. “The goal is to... _breed_ an army of Celestial Dragons, for their own use. For Heartfilia-sama, there was the added objective of having his heir also be a key-holder, to prove his families’ superiority over the others.”

“Oh my god…” Nami whimpered, knees almost giving out in horror. “He...To her mom? For _years_?”

“Nyoko-sama was kept...somewhat sedated, until her pregnancy with Akeno-sama.”

Kid punched a hole in the wall, practically snarling, and Chopper hid his face in Gina’s neck.

“At that point, Heartfilia-sama had everything he wanted. A son as his heir, and soon a daughter...that could effectively be sold for favors to anyone of World Noble blood to breed more Celestial Dragons. But then Akeno-sama…”

“Wasn’t a key-holder.” Franky finished darkly, teeth grinding.

“Heartfilia-sama couldn’t accept that his heir was only a dragon...I...I heard him threatening Akeno-sama to summon Aquarius, or he would get rid of both him and Hikari-sama until he got a son that did.”

“Fuck.” Gina swore, palms pressing into her eyes with a ragged breath. “ _Fuck_!”

“He drove him to _suicide_.” Zoro spat, Sanji’s hand falling limp from his pockets.

“And with him gone…”

“Hikari-sama was in the way.” Lily whispered, comprehension dawning, and Sora keened as the swordsman’s stomach dropped.

“ ** _My mom died when I was small. She got sick, and...I didn’t really understand. She tried to hide it, but at the end…_** ”

“After Akeno-sama’s death...Heartfilia-sama ordered Nyoko-sama to poison their daughter.”

And Law was brought back to a dim hospital room, watching Lami struggle to take in breaths as the Amber Lead slowly leeched her life away, remembered how small and vulnerable she had looked then, how scared, tried to imagine what it would have been like to do that to her _on purpose_ -

“No one realized that she was actually taking the poison herself.”

Mai’s words broke through the cold fury rushing in his ears, and Law became aware of how Zoro was holding onto Luffy’s shoulder and hands had bloomed to pin Sanji against a wall, Kid lifting Gina- _and thus Chopper and Lassoo_ -into a bear-hug as the Iron Dragon bit out rough snarls.

“The poison chosen was cumulative, to mimic a natural death...We were looking for the signs in Hikari-sama, not Nyoko-sama. Until one day, she fell down the main staircase and was found unconscious at the bottom. When the doctor tended to her, he realized what was happening, but by then...it was too late.”

“...She doesn’t know.”

Nami blinked through tears, squeezing Vivi’s hand, and Luffy looked up at Zoro, a spark of understanding in his eyes, as the navigator turned.

“Huh?”

“Kari doesn’t know.” The swordsman repeated, and Law cursed under his breath as Kid seriously considered letting the pissed-off dragon in his arms free to bring this whole castle down. “She thinks her mother got sick…”

“She thinks her brother died in an accident.” Robin murmured, claws sliding harshly against each other as Franky’s hand pressed warm against her tense shoulder-blades. “That he went out in the water on his own…”

“But without her mom, he couldn’t have another son.” Vivi pointed out, frowning. “So in a way...they were both trying to protect Hikari-san as best they could, given the circumstances.”

“But it left sis in a position where she’s the only Celestial Dragon.” Franky countered, and Zoro felt aflame with outrage as he realized what that meant.

“And she’s old enough to have _kids_.”

Luffy blinked at that for a moment, blank, before suddenly feeling so furious he almost imagined steam coming off his skin.

“Which is why you _must_ get Hikari-sama away from here as soon as possible.” Mai stated firmly, forcing herself fully upright. “If you don’t reach her before morning, an Admiral will be here to personally escort her to Dressrosa for an arranged marriage.”

Law’s blood suddenly ran cold.

“Dressrosa?”

The rabbit-mink’s ear twitched at the empty tone in his voice, nodding.

“Hikari-sama is set to marry the king of Dressrosa...Donquixote Doflamingo.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ignoring the water soaking her dress, Hikari hummed as the dolphin-mer curled into her heartbeat, clicking sleepily while gentle hands checked for bruises or scrapes or punctures.

“You’re really nice.” Ariel chattered, arms folded on the tank’s edge and chin-length hair dripping water all over the carpet. “Everybody else likes to poke and ask weird questions, like, there are days I feel like having boobs, and other days I don’t, and they get all fussy about me changing if they don’t say to, I have to be a ‘boy’ or a ‘girl’, but that doesn’t feel right, and sometimes they looked weird when I had boobs, so I don’t like having them a lot-”

The hum stopped cold, eyes flashing gold as Hikari looked between the naked merchildren.

Ariel was at most thirteen, while Naia must have been roughly Sora’s age…

“These guys would come by and stare at us, it was really weird, but the scientists always got mad if I told them that.” The clownfish-mer continued, oblivious to the sudden tension. “But after I passed all their tests, they mostly left me alone, Naia didn’t get so much of it, after she started swimming around and gained some weight, which is good, because they always got frustrated when she couldn’t answer them, and she’s really shy-”

Said dolphin-mer released a series of clicks, almost whistling, and the pinkette pet through her wet curls.

‘Shy’ was not the word she would have used, so much as ‘terrified’.

“But we haven’t really seen anyone since getting here, but at least we didn’t get collars like the others, why are you here, did you come from a place like we did?”

“Not exactly.” Hikari answered, a sad tilt to her smile. “But it all ends up the same anyway. We’re going to be stuck together from now on.”

“Yeah?” Ariel replied, starting to smile as Naia clicked happily. “That doesn’t sound so bad…”

Gaze drifting to where a simple silver locket hung from the padded handle of a gold-wrought wheelchair, a familiar fairy symbol etched into the surface, Hikari breathed through the gaping hole in her chest.

 _No one ever thought that for long_.


	42. Heartfilia Arc: Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Finally, some real fighting! I know you've all been looking forward to this, so hopefully it came out right. This last month was actually super busy, and I only really had time to write this last week...
> 
> Anyway, it's done on time! Hallelujah!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

The moment that Law processed the name Donquixote Doflamingo, any hope of a coordinated, even _somewhat_ stealthy plan had gone up in smoke.

Not that there was really any chance of that once the words ‘arranged marriage’ had been said, because _this **was** just like Skypiea, **why was this just like Skypiea**_ , and whatever restraint Luffy or Zoro had was thrown out of the window, followed fairly quickly by everyone else’s.

That was also about when all four Supernova apparently decided, without a single exchange of words, to forgo navigating the maze of underground corridors and effectively smash their way through to the castle.

Because _of course they did_.

Honestly, Nami could not explain exactly _how_ she had ended up in the garden fighting a mist-Logia.

Somehow, she suspected, it was all Luffy's fault.

Spinning her Perfect Clima-Tact up to block those wickedly-sharp spiked gauntlets, Nami cursed as the impact rattled right through her bones, ducking under a follow-up swing.

Rexlord turned his head at a whistle of whirling metal, crying out in surprise and lurching sideways when a Peacock Slasher sliced just under his ribs, actually drawing blood.

“Swamp Tempo!”

In a gush of moist air, he became mist and twisted away from their combined efforts, solidifying a few feet away as Karoo skidded into a tight turn, Vivi already winding up for another swing.

“Blinding Fog!”

Configuring her weapon quickly, Nami swung as a wall of mist advanced on them over the grass.

“Cyclone Tempo!”

The burst of strong wind dissipated the force of his elemental charge, forcing him to slip around the tight twister of Vivi’s weapons as the spinning pieces of her Perfect Clima-Tact boomeranged back into place and twisted into a new configuration.

“Iron Tempo!”

The iron-clouds surged around Rexlord in his half-mist form, closing in like a cocoon-

“Mist Burst!”

Karoo squawked as he dodged the surprisingly-hard shrapnel, Vivi ducking low on his back, and Nami brought up a quick wall of iron-clouds to deflect as the princess spun out her Peacock Slashers to intercept Rexlord’s attempted charge.

Quick as a snake, the mist-man spiraled around the whip-like length and slammed into Vivi’s chest, tossing her off Karoo’s saddle with a choked-off yelp and into an apple tree, the golden-skinned fruit rattling on their stems from the impact.

“Get off her!” Nami snarled, leaping over her own barricade and swinging the crackling end of her Perfect Clima-Tact right at his recently-reformed head. “THUNDER CHARGE: SWING ARM!”

With a ZAP of discharged electricity, Rexlord was knocked off his pinned target and through a rosebush, the heavy gold blossoms rustling and falling from the abuse as he rolled to regain his feet.

“Impressive.” The blonde voiced, smile too full of good cheer for the middle of a battle. “For a princess and a fair maiden, you’re both rather skilled.”

Catching her breath, Vivi only had time to frown at this condescending statement while a flash of memory passed through Nami of a caravel bobbing through East Blue, the way Hikari had spat out the words " ** _What, princesses have to be dainty flowers in dresses?_** " like they had been poison in her veins-

Lightning scorched the grass, catching on the water droplets of Rexlord’s elemental form before he could dodge, and the stunned knight nearly toppled over, smoke rising from his quilted armor as Vivi and Karoo looked towards the furious navigator with wide eyes.

“You think women are weak?” She bit out, iron- and swamp-clouds mixing into a black, rumbling mass at her back. “Is that what you’ve been telling Kari-chan this whole time? Is that why she never believed she was strong?”

Because Nami remembered the way Hikari would roll her eyes whenever Luffy bragged about how amazing she was, brushing the words off like he was saying them to be _nice_ , as if their captain really believing that was ridiculous...

 _But Kari-chan never thought that about me_ , Nami realized, heart aching. _Even when I thought it about myself, Kari-chan never did. Not with me, or Usopp_...

And that just made the fire of her rage burn hotter, bright as the crackles of lightning in an approaching stormfront.

Because Hikari had never once called them weak or cowards, had never seen them as burdens even when Nami thought she was, but…

“ ** _I’m not more important than a million people._** ”

_But damn it, she is to **us**._

“Kari-chan’s not here to prove you wrong…” The navigator hissed, and Vivi found her feet, shoulders squaring as Karoo rushed to her side, feathers ruffled and glaring. “So we’ll have to do it for her. But I should warn you…”

The garden seemed to go dark as her thundering clouds rose up, blocking out the sun while lightning threw menacing shadows.

“We’re not half as merciful as she is.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hellfire blazed against stone, scorching as Kilala skidded down a street, a sharp tightening of Usopp’s knees in her ribs causing her to leap up moments before a bullet impacted the cobblestones where they would have been.

A Lead Bullet Star blurred from his Kabuto, followed by a Fire Bird Star, and the nekomata lunged sideways around the spire of a bell tower with a growl at a faint flash in the distance.

“Damn it.” Usopp cursed, urging his partner into a dive before a bullet pierced his goggles.

A battle between snipers was not so much a test of endurance as it was of calculations, of quick reflexes and steady hands, sharp eyes seeking out openings and weaknesses to hit.

They might have been at an effective stalemate, but that could change in a moment.

Just one second too slow, and-

 _Don’t think like that_ , Usopp forcibly reminded himself, the tremble in his knees subsiding. _I’m Captain Usopp, the Sniper King! There’s no way I’ll lose here!_

Because this was for Hikari, who had always believed in him and made _him_ believe, too…

“ ** _Being brave isn’t about not being afraid. It’s about facing your fears when you have the chance to run away. And from where I’m standing, you’re a hell of a lot braver than I am._** ”

Because Hikari believed that she was a coward, and now it was Usopp’s turn to make her believe in herself, too.

“Come on, Kilala!” The sniper ordered, grabbing a new pellet from his bag. “We’re not done yet, right?!”

The nekomata roared in agreement, pushing off a corner to avoid another shot.

“Special Oil Star!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Paper Shredder!”

Wood split open under the razor-sharp assault, papers flying as their bindings were torn apart-

“Dos Fleur!”

There was a choked-off yelp as hands sprouted, pulling the origami-man off-balance while his eyes bugged comically at the large fist that swiftly made itself known.

“Strong Right!”

Giovanni bounced off the carpeted hardwood floors into a bookcase, both toppling dramatically, as Robin straightened from her crouch with a sharp-edged, mysterious smile.

“So this is the guy that cut Swirly-bro, huh?”

“It would seem so.”

Cracking his knuckles, Franky grinned while their prey scrambled back up onto his feet, scowling under his skewed moustache.

“You definitely messed with the wrong pirates, buddy. We don’t take kindly to anyone hurting one of ours.”

“One of yours, huh?” Giovanni hissed, straightening with a knife flipping in each hand. “Is that why you’re here? Getting revenge for what happened in Water Seven?”

“We’re here to get back Hikari-chan.” Robin answered coolly, dragon-iron claws flashing in the low light. “That’s merely a bonus.”

“You…”

Franky frowned at the disbelieving cackle their opponent released, glancing sideways to see the ice creep into his crew-mate’s eyes.

“You’re here for _her_?” Giovanni sputtered, nearly doubling over with a jangle of yellow chainmail. “ _Really_? What do you need her for? To keep your dicks warm?”

The knight seemed oblivious to how quiet his assailants had become, apparently too amused by this whole situation to focus on anything besides staying upright from laughter.

“I’m surprised that frigid bitch didn’t freeze them off! After all this time trying to thaw her out-We should’ve just done it and gotten some fun in before now! Hey, was she a real slut for i-?”

His voice cut off on a gurgle as hands closed over his throat, knees hitting the floor hard, as Robin clenched her fingers tighter.

“Don’t talk about Hikari-chan like that.”

Because Robin was remembering a night that felt like a lifetime ago, curled up in the crow’s nest of the Going Merry with a mug of coffee warming her hands, sadness and this soul-deep pain reflecting back from dark honey-colored eyes.

“ ** _Will they ever hear that story?_** ”

“ ** _Stars help me, I hope I never have to remember it myself._** ”

Hikari had offered an olive branch that day, a hope for the answers she sought…

“ ** _Of course, Robin. There’s nowhere we’d rather you be than with us._** ”

A large hand overlapped hers around Giovanni’s throat, and the knight released a wheeze as Franky lifted him up, furious.

“Kari-sis is our nakama.” He stated calmly, fist closing tighter. “She was willing to go into Enies Lobby for us...Coming here was nothing.”

Because he knew exactly what it was like to have a parent that would abandon you, to have a family ripped away, and come out the other side wondering if you could ever get that back…

“So to make sure she knows exactly what that means, we’re going to beat every last one of you into the ground.”

Giovanni only had a moment to whimper when Franky raised his left arm, the barrel inside revealed.

“Weapons Left!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glancing up from where she was sharpening the blade of her weapon on a whetstone, Jyotis scoffed at the pirate standing in the study doorway, unimpressed.

“I didn’t expect you to come running to your death.”

Flames licking at his heels, Sanji took a deep inhale of his cigarette to steady himself, heart thundering as all seven-and-a-half feet of her rose from the couch with languid grace.

Because _damn it all_ , why did she have to be gorgeous?

“I’m not here to die.” He replied, exhaling that thought on a cloud of smoke. “I’m here for Hikari-hime.”

Brow rising, Jyotis spun her naginata leisurely, checking the edge nonchalantly.

“Is that so?”

Metal clashed, blade stopped mid-swing by the dragon-iron-enforced sole of his shoe, and a slow, demonic smile spread across her face.

“Then let’s see what you can do.”

With a deft twist, the stalemate was broken and both combatants blurred into motion, striking and blocking and parrying-

“Poitrine!”

The staff of her naginata barely halted the blow as Jyotis skidded back a few paces, pausing as Sanji lowered his leg.

“Are you even trying to hit me?”

He grimaced at that, and the knight _chuckled_.

With a twist, the staff hooked behind his knee and pulled the cook off-balance, forcing him to slap a hand on the carpet to regain some form of stability before lashing out with the other leg, Jyotis swiftly side-stepping the telegraphed move and swinging her blade up under his arm-

Flipping onto his other hand, the edge barely grazed his jacket as Sanji whirled into a Cotelette, cigarette crumpling on a virulent curse when he pulled the blow moments before it impacted the staff of her weapon.

Regaining his feet, the cook parried the next swing, being pushed back with each one as Jyotis pressed her advantage, not even bothering to defend any openings in her technique.

With a whirl, he was taken out at the knees and slammed into the floor, Jyotis scoffing as she straightened.

“Of course that stupid bitch would join such a pathetic bunch of pirates."

Sanji froze as he stood, eyes shadowed by his mussed bangs.

"Always adopting riffraff to take care of...All that trouble for trash, when she could be among gods.”

“You…”

A ripple of heat seared the walls, air wavering around him as blue-grey eyes hardened into sharpened steel.

“Don’t you dare speak about Hikari-hime that way.” He seethed, reaching into his pocket for a pair of familiar gloves, the soft blue wool sliding over his fingers like armor as the leather palms creaked. “To say such things about a person who cares so much…No beautiful lady would ever disparage someone with such a golden heart!”

Jyotis’ naginata spun up to deflect one kick, two, retreating at the sudden ferocity and eyes going wide when the next blow went right through the couch as if it was plywood.

Lifting his leg like a cocked gun, Sanji blew out a cloud of smoke like a demon from hell, all uncertainty gone.

“I won’t allow you to insult Hikari-hime, or any of our wonderful ladies! From this moment on, I'll fight you with all I have! COLLIER!"

And the battle was on.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oi, are you sure we should’ve let Sanji go fight that demon-bitch?” Gina voiced, glancing back where a set of ostentatious stairs was rapidly falling out of view as the group ran.

“That idiot cook won’t die from someone like that.” Zoro scoffed, Chopper clattering ahead of him in Walk Point while Lassoo chuffed in worry.

Sora whistled lowly in agreement, which none of her siblings could argue with.

Give him a man of any species to fight and Sanji would drop-kick them into next week, but a woman?

Luffy flashed them a fierce grin, not a shred of doubt in his eyes as he followed Lily around a turn.

“Sanji won’t let Kari down! Don’t worry!”

“You say that like I didn’t see him eat deck one time because Nami told him to.” Gina muttered, though she made no move to turn around.

“We still have to face Sir Quilinus, Lady Cynere and Lady Xandra.” Lily warned, and Kid frowned when he caught the glance shared between the Straw Hat Supernovas, a rattle of gold and silver keys passing hands from the first mate to the captain.

“I’ll take care of the swordswoman.” Zoro decided, veering off sharply to Chopper’s protests.

“Wait! That’s not the right way!”

“For fuck’s sake! Funkfreed! Make sure he actually gets there!”

A fading trumpet answered Gina’s order, followed by complaints that quickly grew indistinct as the group kept running.

“I thought you said he had the directional sense of a drugged, concussed squirrel.” Kid noted, Sora nodding as her older siblings burst.

“HE DOES!”

“There’s no time to stop them.” Law snapped, knuckles white over Kikoku’s hilt as Luffy pulled ahead. “Our priority is to incapacitate the Star Guard and get Hikari-ya.”

“We’re almost to the tower!” Lily realized, pointing ahead where the ornate hallway widened into a new room. “Just past here-”

There was a hiss and a rush of wind, and the rubber-man tumbled back head-over-sandals as marble flooring and shined stone walls exploded just after the threshold, Gina’s shout actually making Kid’s stomach drop.

“SORA!”

A roar came back, much louder than anyone would expect from someone so small, and Law closed the distance in a few long strides with the others not far behind.

What must have once been some sort of spare ballroom, given the vaulted ceilings and chandeliers, was a mess.

The gold-veined marble flooring was cracked and shattered open, tall windows spilling shards of glass over a fallen ‘giant’, a very tiny Sky Dragon perched on his thoroughly-dented chest-plate.

With a groan that rattled the walls, Quilinus raised a massive, raft-sized hand to swat Sora away like a fly-

“Room!”

Blue light filled the room, Law acutely aware of Luffy drawing back a fist and Kid’s sudden surge of magnetism and Chopper grabbing up Lassoo in his Heavy Point and Gina lunging, iron scales surging over her skin as Lily clapped her hands together-

“Shambles!”

Quilinus only had a moment to realize what was happening before the Iron Dragon was already in his face.

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: FRACTURED FURY!”

His pained shouts rang off the walls with all the force of an avalanche, blood spilling heavily from the deep slashes across his face as he thrashed in surprise, Law cursing as Luffy leaped in front of a startled, confused Sora-

“Script: ANVIL!”

Gina flipped over his head moments before the word slammed onto his chest, Lassoo’s gun-form cocking with fresh ammunition as the pinned man wheezed around crushed lungs.

“Cherry Blossom Blaze!”

The glass shattered against the ANVIL’s edge, spilling liquid pink fire that had Quilinus flailing up with such a scream that Kid was sure his eardrums had popped.

“Punk Gibson!”

Metal fixtures and decorations ripped from the walls and ceiling, Gina digging her claws into the floor moments before a large, makeshift arm slammed the ‘giant’ back into the far wall with enough force to make the entire castle seem to shake.

“Go!” The redhead ordered, flashing a bloodthirsty smile as Chopper clicked fresh ammunition into Lassoo’s barrel and Sora circled around her father with a growl, wings mantled. “We’ve got a time limit, right? Keep moving!”

“If you go down that hallway, you’ll reach a courtyard.” Lily informed them, palms pressed together in preparation. “The tower’s on the other side.”

Luffy grinned after a moment as Gina straightened, arms shifting back into swords.

“You’d better take care of them, Gizao, or Kari’ll be really mad!”

“OI! I DON’T NEED PROTECTING!”

Kid cackled, pulling his mix-matched arm back to land a solid punch to Quilinus’ face.

“Then you’d better keep up!”

“Come on, Torao!”

Law grunted when a rubbery arm wrapped around his torso and pulled him along after the younger Paramecia, finding his feet as Sora leaped up.

“Sky Dragon’s Leading Sky Arrow!”

The impact was surprisingly muffled even a few feet into this new hallway, but Law put that out of his mind when Luffy suddenly skidded to a halt, nearly knocking the wind out of his lungs with the sudden serious expression on his face.

“Hey, Torao...You can get to Kari really fast with that switch-thing, right?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm surprised."

Zoro said nothing, drawing Sandai Kitetsu and Funkfreed with a hiss of steel, as Cynere paced along the roof's edge with a smirk, braids swaying with each step.

"You would think a man like you would know when to cut his losses…Especially after such a quick defeat."

"A man like me, huh?" Zoro muttered, placing Wado between his teeth. "A man like me...won't sit quietly by after someone like you threatens my lovers."

The purple-haired swordswoman paused in her easy stride, crystal eyes cutting towards him as she drew the rapier hanging at her side.

"Really now? I shouldn't be so surprised...Heartfilia-sama was always _popular_."

"Careful what you say." He warned, Funkfreed trembling in one hand at the killing intent saturating the air. "To anger a demon...is to court death."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

More a garden than anything resembling a courtyard, neat slabs of shiny stone led from the castle to the foot of an almost impossibly tall, glistening golden tower, lined with statues of what Luffy recognized as the Zodiac Spirits, though not quite right.

There was a mermaid that might have been Aquarius if he squinted, but even through the flowering ivy, the shape was too delicate and the face without any of the fierce thunder that made her so fearsome.

Another must have been meant to resemble Aries, but was too large, shoulders back and almost haughty in a way the real Spirit never dared, even when truly fighting.

None of them looked like Virgo or Leo or Scorpio or Gemini either, not really, as if the person making them had never actually met the Spirits before.

Luffy’s focus, however, was more on the woman standing in his way than the decorations.

“Straw Hat Luffy...without his famous hat.” Xandra drawled, smirking. “I was hoping you’d follow us. I never like leaving a job half-done.”

Expression fiercely blank, the rubber captain glared silently, and she quirked a brow, arms crossing in a relaxed stance.

“You seem so serious all of a sudden…”

“You hurt Kari.” He intoned, like the sea darkening before a storm.

“Of course.” Xandra admitted easily, unruffled. “How else will she learn her place?”

“Her place…”

Knuckles cracking, Luffy crouched, fist pressing into the stone as his skin began to steam.

“Stupid…”

A shiver went down her spine, cold tendrils that squeezed around a tight heart, at the fire in those black eyes.

“Kari’s place is with her nakama! GEAR SECOND!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Extending his Room, Law Shambled himself with some sort of decorative bust, glancing up and down the spiraling staircase before repeating the action again.

This tower was roughly forty stories tall, much too high for his Room to reach all the way to the top from the ground, but he should almost be…

And there, right on the edge of Law’s awareness, was a bedroom.

“Shambles!”

An abandoned shoe took his place, and the Surgeon of Death found his feet in a very lavish room, eyes immediately catching on a sheen of clear glass and a quick flash of movement before being pinned against the wall.

The first thing that registered in Law’s mind was that Dragneel Hikari was much smaller than he had expected.

She could not have been more than five-foot-four, deceptively soft in a gold silk halter-top dress with her hair loose around bare shoulders, but there was no denying the strength in that compact form or the sharp blade pressed under his arm.

 _The axillary vein_ , Law noted distractedly, caught in the blazing gold, slit-pupil eyes glaring back at him.

Then she blinked, seeming to register his face, and pulled back, confusion turning those bright eyes a calmer honey tone.

“Trafalgar Law?” Hikari voiced, head tilting in that way Bepo sometimes did when he was curious, and his heart did a flip. “What are you doing here?”

“Mugiwara-ya insisted that I get you out of here while he deals with Xandra-ya.” Law answered, leaning back against the wall to keep from stepping closer, and raised a brow at the way she froze in place. “Your crew insisted on fighting the Star Guard themselves. If I’m not mistaken, most of that mess is from them rather than our crews at the gate.”

Eyes going wide, Hikari looked out the window for what he assumed was the first time in hours- _why would she, otherwise, with the bars there as a constant reminder of her imprisonment?_ -and saw the smoke rising from the abandoned city, the garden where it was hidden by the castle’s bulk, the library windows on one side, a study higher up on the other...

And snapped.

“ ** _WHAT_**!?!”


	43. Heartfilia Arc: Part 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> And it's here! Work has started getting pretty crazy again, so I was worried this chapter wouldn't get out on time...With the holidays coming up, I'm gonna start updating every month instead of every two weeks, to make sure I have plenty of time to work on each chapter and not freak out that I don't have enough time to do everything I want to. Don't worry, I'll still have plenty of other stuff to tide you all over in-between!
> 
> Anyway, onto the butt-kicking!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

Knuckles white on Kabuto’s staff, Usopp ducked low against Kilala’s back as she threaded through a broken window, blasting out the other side as a wall was perforated moments behind them.

White fur singed from more than one close call, the nekomata veered around another building, skidding a touch on a rooftop garden as Usopp took aim.

“Six-Chamber Pit Viper Star!”

The smoking projectiles flew true, slipping in those momentary openings between towers and spires as they passed, and Usopp frowned when they were evaded just like the rest, flying right through his target.

Mirke had made her nest at the very top of a thin, spindly tower that stood a solid twenty stories above every other building on the island except the castle itself, with plenty of thin windows and openings for quick escapes from his returning fire.

None of his attacks could do more than scorch or gouge the stone.

Except...

“How high can you go?”

“I lived in the clouds, two-leg.” Kilala huffed, ear twitching back towards him as she dropped under another volley of shots. “How high can _you_ go?”

And Usopp remembered falling through the clouds, being up so high the sea itself had seemed like a distant wall of solid blue, how _cold_ it had been…

“Two miles. Get me up two miles, as close to her as you can get. Okay?”

The nekomata was quiet for a moment, whipping to a stop behind a row of buildings where the next bullet was only a distant CRACK through layers of stone and wood.

“...You need one shot?”

Usopp blinked, startled by the cool seriousness of her tone, before nodding firmly.

“Just one shot.”

“...Then hold on, Sniper King.” Kilala decided, hell-fire blazing brighter around her paws. “We’re going on a ride.”

They took off straight up in a gush of scorched stone and a high-pitched shriek, shots ringing out once, twice, thrice-

Twisting sharply, Kilala flung the startled sniper _up_ with her tails as she fell _back_ , masking his ascent-

And Usopp took the opening.

“HEAVENLY DRAGON STAR!”

The pellet ignited on first contact with the air, crackling with bolts of electricity that shot out ahead in a blinding flash-

And the tower tore apart under all the viciousness of a dragon.

Usopp only had a moment to be proud of himself before gravity took hold.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH-”

Kilala caught him by the back of his overalls, a laugh rumbling right through Usopp’s chest as she glided towards the rubble, landing hard a few feet from where the knight had fallen.

Sprawled amid the debris, Mirke was surprisingly small and lean, a ragdoll in all black with a thick braid covered in dust and a broken rifle.

“Looks like you won again, Sniper King.” The nekomata noted after dropping him, and he sprang back up with a forced laugh, chest puffed up.

“Of course I did! I’m the best sniper in the wor-”

And Kilala fell.

Usopp turned quickly, eyes going wide at the growing red staining thick white fur as he fumbled to catch her head before it hit the cobblestones, landing hard on his ass.

“H-Hey! What happened? Are you okay?!”

“I’m alive…” She forced out on a faint laugh, a hiss escaping when he pressed hard on a wound to staunch the flow. “None of the bullets seem to be inside, at least…”

“When did you even-?”

Usopp froze, horrified, as he put the pieces together.

“When you threw me?!”

“You needed the shot…” Kilala grumbled, blinking languidly before a gush of blue fire left Usopp with a lapful of tired, wounded cloud-cat.

“AH! Don’t worry, I’ve got you! Hold on! Where are the bandages Chopper gave me?!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Cyclone Tempo!”

The mist parted violently, roiling like troubled waters while twisting to avoid the swing of dragon-iron Peacock Slashers, a hand reforming to grab Vivi’s arm-

"Iron Tempo!"

And Rexlord retreated from the sharp tendrils of cloud, too dense for him to pass through but not capable of tearing him apart, as Karoo veered sideways to keep out of reach.

“Iron Thunderbolt Tempo!”

A fig tree cracked open in a spray of splinters and vaporized sap, the Logia crying out as a stray tongue of lightning caught on his shoulder, and Vivi swung her Peacock Slashers back around in a parallel horizontal slash.

He split around the attack moments before contact, becoming a blinding white smokescreen that forced Karoo to backpedal furiously as Nami spun Heat Balls out of her Perfect Clima-Tact, creating a new configuration when the air shifted.

“Gale Tempo!”

A gush of wind ripped through the garden, fierce as the first bands of a hurricane’s fury, and Rexlord was forced to reform completely to keep from being swept leagues out to sea, tumbling through a copse of gold-skinned pomegranate trees.

Kicking into Karoo’s ribs, Vivi lashed out where she suspected the knight would fall-

With a flip, he sailed over the constricting discs, slicing a branch free with his gauntlet and kicking it towards the large duck’s face so he squawked and lurched out of the way, nearly unseating his rider.

“Foggy Reach!”

Like Smoker, Rexlord’s arms morphed into amorphous smog and shot out like striking snakes, aiming right for-

“Iron Ring Tempo!”

The dense ring of iron-cloud slashed the cohesion of grasping mist-fingers into vapor, slicing easily through ground and wood before bouncing off stone towards his head.

Rexlord was forced to duck and dance away, gauntlets throwing sparks as they clashed with Nami’s Perfect Clima-Tact in an attempt to keep her from bashing his skull in.

Years of practice and hard experience made the navigator’s swings swift and precise, forcing the startled man back a step at a time, and he yelped at suddenly having his arms bound by razor-sharp discs, nearly falling back as iron-clouds rose up, mixing with swamp-clouds in a rush of built-up static.

“Take this! Iron Thunderbolt Tempo!”

Vivi had to close her eyes against the blinding flash, Karoo scrabbling to stay upright as the ground cracked and rolled underfoot-

The princess squeaked at a sudden pull on her Peacock Slashers, Karoo squawking in horror at the weight suddenly leaving his saddle-

Hitting his arm was like being thrown into a steel bar, ribs protesting as they knocked air out of spasming lungs, and her vision went a hazy white-black as Vivi was pulled sharply back against a hard chest.

"Ah, ah." Rexlord gasped out as Nami readied her weapon, the tip of his gauntlet grazing the soft skin on the underside of her jaw. "You wouldn't want me to slip, would you?"

The orange-haired navigator froze, knuckles going white, and a smirk showed through the soot on his handsome face.

"That's much better...You put up a better fight than I expected, fair maiden, but you never stood a chance."

Nami barely registered his words with the furious rush of blood in her ears, gaze locked on the tiny droplet of blood rolling down the metal when Vivi winced.

This was like that moment back in Raindinners, Crocodile taunting them that his plan to conquer Alabasta was already underway, Vivi trapped across from him while Nami was struggling against the Sea Prism Stone bars.

Here was another Logia, another egotistical monster taunting them with his victory while holding Vivi’s life in his hands...

And there was no Hikari to set things right this time.

 _Too bad for him_ , Nami thought fiercely, grip twisting just so.

Because she was not going to just stand here and let anyone torment Vivi ever again.

“Now, be a good girl and put the staff down-”

Rexlord shrieked when his foot suddenly _sank_ , hand jerking away from the bluenette’s throat to flail backwards-

Vivi gasped at a sudden pull around her hips, falling into the older woman’s arms and twisting to see a growing mass of swamp-cloud consuming the Logia’s legs like a hungry, tentacled beast.

Turning to mist did nothing to free him, the wet clouds soaking up any extra moisture greedily until the panicking knight was encased up to the ribs, going pale as a shadow fell over the garden.

A crackling maw hung over Nami, demonic eyes glowing with a promise of pain as menacing shadows stretched across grass and upturned soil.

“I’d say you put up a pretty good fight…” The navigator drawled, raising her Perfect Clima-Tact. “But you never stood a chance. Iron Thunderbolt Tempo: Dragon’s Vengeance!”

The entire garden lit bright as a desert sun, and Vivi blinked starbursts from her eyes, staggering slightly when she was turned away from the smoking, unconscious Rexlord to look into big chocolate eyes.

“Are you okay?” Nami worried, patting her shoulders and arms before cupping the younger’s face, adrenaline still high even with the battle won.

Because _holy shit_ , they had just fought a _Logia_ , both of them were still alive, and they had _won_ -

The giddy feeling of victory bubbled up like champagne in her chest, and Nami would blame that for why she yanked Vivi into a kiss.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Giovanni bounced off the floor like a ragdoll, nose breaking with a CRUNCH that gushed blood all over a plush rug.

Shaking out his knuckles, Franky smirked as Robin crossed her arms gracefully.

“Ocho Fleur!”

The man wheezed as hands sprouted from his shoulders and back, limbs being twisted almost out of joint-

Robin winced when the flesh under her hands went paper-thin and sliced her conjured limbs into petals, sharp eyes following the sliver of a form gliding between a set of close-sitting bookshelves.

“Trying to run again, huh?” Her cyborg crew-mate sneered, and she smiled.

“It would seem so. Dos Fleur!”

The bookshelves rocked violently with a BANG, hands sprouting to hold the priceless volumes in place as their target was flipped over what might have been a table, considering the CRACK of splintering wood that soon followed.

“Where are you going?”

Giovanni whimpered as a large hand closed over his chest.

“We’re not done with you yet.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The entire room was a warzone.

Splinters of wood were scattered across the floor from a shattered desk, bookshelves had been tossed aside and spilled their contents into torn, smoldering piles, walls had been caved in, floorboards cracked open...

Diverting a kick towards her sternum, Jyotis hissed at the hairline crack up the staff of her naginata, lurching sideways to avoid another blow to the head.

The weak man that had begun this fight was nowhere in sight, and the dents in her armor were testament to that.

Sanji was relentless, legs spinning and hammering against every defense she could put up, the soles of his shoes like being gut-punched whenever they so much as grazed her skin...

Metal clanged together, held in a stalemate, and the cook frowned around his cigarette at the strange ripple that seemed to fill the air between them.

“I underestimated you.” Jyotis admitted, Sanji tensing at the way muscles seemed to swell along her arms.

He had seen Chopper switch forms, go from Brain Point to Heavy Point to Walk Point sometimes in quick succession, had seen Hikari lose control twice and fully transform into a dragon, but neither could have fully prepared him for what Jyotis did then.

Rather like one might imagine Doctor Jekyll would turn into Mister Hyde, muscles seemed to grow with new fibers and strength, skin hardening into what reminded him more of snakeskin than the sharp, smooth scales that Hikari or Gina could gain, this deep burnt orange that faded into a vivid red in swirling designs, fingers cracking once, twice as extra knuckles grew in, wicked talons bursting through dark gloves and large canines distorting her face into a true demonic visage that towered over Sanji at a frankly horrifying nine feet tall.

“But playtime is over.”

The next swing of her naginata sent a shockwave through the air, and he barely ducked aside, cigarette crumpling at the deep slice that now split the floor and wall where he had been standing.

Well, Lily _had_ mentioned a Demon-Demon Fruit…

“I don’t intend to run.” Sanji decided, firm. “I don’t intend to die...And I don’t intend to forgive.”

“Are you trying to play tough still?” Jyotis wondered, voice gone deep and snarled. “The little bitch isn’t here to see if you die like a hero or not.”

“Watch your mouth.” The Straw Hat cook bit back, crushing the used filter of his cigarette aggressively under a heel. “I’m the kind who heats up with anger.”

The demon-woman blinked when he began to spin, so rapidly as to be a blur, settling back in amusement.

“Is that supposed to be intimidating, little man?”

“Devil’s Foot…”

She stared, dumbstruck, at the fiery glow of his right leg when Sanji came to a stop, already bracing.

“Diable Jambe! Diable Mouton Shot!”

The blow _burned_ , right through toughened skin and muscle and bone, and there was no air left in her lungs to scream as Jyotis was thrown back like a bullet and smashed into a wall.

“It’s destructive power is just like that of a devil.” He voiced, watching his opponent struggle to breathe through the pain, armor shattered and scorched around where his foot had impacted. “Let’s see if that’s true. Diable Jambe!”

Jyotis lurched up, survival instincts blaring as her naginata twirled up-

“Demon’s Wail!”

“Venison Shot!”

In a blur of fire, it was over.

“God creates food...” Sanji noted, lighting a cigarette as he looked over the fallen knight, foot cooling. “And the devil creates spice...I guess I made it a little too spicy.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Breathing steady and calm, Zoro blocked the rapier lunging for his throat, spinning into the motion quick as a snake.

His opponent was gone in a moment, and he scowled around Wado’s hilt, arresting the motion to bring Funkfreed around and divert a slash to his ribs.

Cynere had control over her Devil’s Fruit, if nothing else.

“I’m impressed.” She hummed, long length of steel spinning in one hand as she circled. “Not many people have lasted this long against me…”

Zoro said nothing in return, watching her with narrowed eyes, before there was a blink and-

“Port Lance!”

Sandai Kitetsu twisted, tangling around the rapier’s length, and Cynere blinked away before Wado could catch against her throat.

Funkfreed blocked the slash from behind, the thin length catching between blade and tusk for just a moment before she was gone again, appearing to his right-

“Hyokindama!”

There was a cry when armor split down the right side of Cynere’s torso, blood spurting, and Zoro pressed his advantage.

“Gyuki: Yuzume!”

With a flicker, she teleported only moments after Funkfreed’s blade slashed down her opposite hip, which transformed quickly to block another swipe at the swordsman’s back with a sharp trunk.

“Fucking bastard…” She bit out, stumbling away as Zoro faced her, tipping his head in thanks to the Zoan-sword as he slid Sandai Kitetsu back into its sheath and untied the bandana wrapped around his arm.

Pressing a hand to her wound, Cynere hissed, eyes almost fever-bright with fury now at the blatant lack of concern for her presence.

"Is that supposed to intimidate me?"

"Is it working?" He wondered, tightening the knot, and Funkfreed shuddered all along his metal hide.

"You got in a lucky hit." She spat, rising into a new stance. "That just means I should end this now instead of playing more!"

Cynere disappeared, quick as a flash, and Zoro waited.

“Spam Slice!”

"Toro Nagashi!"

Sparks flew as their blades clashed, the force of his rotation throwing the other off her feet as her rapier tumbled away, new slashes opening all along her armor.

Coming to a stop, he squeezed Funkfreed’s hilt while watching her struggle upright, braids coming loose and smearing red all over the tiles.

“I warned you.” Zoro reminded her, holding Sandai Kitetsu in a familiar stance. “To anger a demon is to court death. Karasuma Gari!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Xandra was a woman used to being in control.

“Gum Gum JET STAMP!”

Stone cracked open violently under the sudden force, a carved face shattering, and she leaped to slap a bare hand against another statue.

“Puppetry!”

The monstrous likeness of Leo- _who was built like Franky and Chopper’s Heavy Point had merged, with a heavy stone mane and jagged claws_ -lurched into motion at a sudden curl of fingers, a hammer-sized fist meeting the one already blurring her way.

“Gum Gum JET PISTOL!”

The statue practically _evaporated_ , nothing more than dust, and Xandra barely avoided being struck head-on, the shockwave enough to send her tumbling.

Unfortunately for her, she had none of that control at the moment.

“Puppetry.” The woman spat out, and the ground rose beneath her in a heavy, earthen golem that raised a boulder-sized paw to block the incoming rubber missile.

“Gum Gum JET BAZOOKA!”

Xandra cursed as her puppet stumbled heavily, most of one side blasted away-

Crystalline armor cratered, air evacuating spasming lungs as she was sent flying like a bullet into the tower wall, stone cracking open and spilling across shiny marble floor.

Skin bright pink and steaming, Luffy watched the white-haired woman stagger back onto her feet, palms flat.

“Alright, brat…” Xandra hissed, two tiger-sized marble golems lumbering up from the tiles. “Enough playing nice. Puppet Maelstrom!”

The golems lunged, a twister of stone fangs and claws, and Luffy pulled back a fist.

“Gum Gum JET BULLET!”

Another golem rose to attack him as those fell, another, each bigger than the last, as his arms began to blur.

"GUM GUM _JET GATLING_!"

Nothing Xandra did seemed to even slow her opponent down, as if Straw Hat Luffy was this implacable battering ram that would not stop until crushing everything in his path-

“GUM GUM JET WHIP!”

With a CRACK like concentrated thunder, a rubbery leg slammed into her ribs and sent the knight flying, tumbling into the castle.

“GUM GUM JET ROCKET!”

Xandra barely diverted his course with a snake-like golem of stone, rolling away.

“PUPPET KING!”

The castle itself shuddered, rising like a woken giant breaking free of the earth after millenia of slumber, the roof and walls and floors cracking apart where the limits of her power lay, large glass eyes glowing like hellfire in the low dusk light.

“Give it up, Straw Hat!” Xandra cackled from hundreds of feet in the air, a manic gleam in her cold eyes as she stared down at the unmoved rookie pirate below. "No one has ever beaten my ultimate technique! You don't stand a chance!"

In that moment, Luffy saw nothing to be afraid of.

"Gum Gum JET MISSILE!"

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Law had seen the footage of Enies Lobby, his impression of the Straw Hat’s key-holder had been of a confident, level-headed, somewhat ruthless and rather understated strategist that could actually corral that chaotic crew into some semblance of a plan.

“Are you _fucking kidding me_?!”

Celestial light popped off her skin like fireworks as Hikari punched a fist _into_ the window frame, cursing violently as she stalked around the room, leaving stardust in her wake.

Right now, however, it seemed the crew’s bullheaded insistence on causing chaos had pushed her past all of that.

“After all of this-I didn’t spend the last few months keeping them alive so they could fucking pull this shit! Are they suicidal?! Is that what this is?!"

Pivoting on a high heel, Hikari refocused on him with a frown, and Law saw the gears turning quickly, putting together the situation fast as a blink and finding that some pieces made no sense.

"Why are you even here? Last I heard, your crew was nowhere near Water Seven…"

"Your stunt at Enies Lobby stirred up quite a storm." He admitted, going for nonchalant. "Eustass-ya and I changed course to make a joint alliance with your crew.”

“Eustass…” Hikari repeated slowly, eyes going wide. “Eustass Kid. The guy who’s been carving a bloody path through the Grand Line for months. _That_ Eustass Kid?”

“That would be him.” Law agreed, amused at the almost immediate headache this seemed to cause.

“Why…How...It’s been a _day_. I haven’t even been gone for twenty-four hours!”

The pinkette rubbed at aching temples, breathing out some of her frustration.

“Fucking insane, the whole lot of you…”

Well, really, she was hardly _wrong_ …

“Ah, here.”

Pulling a pale yellow bundle from inside his hoodie, Law offered it into her curious hands with a shrug, leaning against Kikoku.

“Mugiwara-ya told me to give that to you.”

Fingers curling in soft yarn, Hikari recognized the scarf she had knitted for Luffy so many months ago and had worn herself on Drum, gently unravelling the length...

Old straw scratched gently against her palms, the red ribbon soft as silk from time and exposure to sea salt and sun, and Hikari’s heart was suddenly in her throat.

Because nestled inside was a familiar key-ring.

There was no hesitation in bringing down that mental wall she had so firmly thrown into place back on Water Seven, and all of their voices flooded in, a wave of love and relief and more than a little scolding for worrying them so badly.

 _Damn it, brat, you scared me_.

All of that frustration visibly melted into this soft smile, and Law had to forcibly turn his gaze away, heart doing a little stutter when she turned that look his way.

"Thanks." Hikari voiced, sweetly sincere, plopping that precious straw hat on her head and loosely wrapping the scarf around her neck.

Law thought they suited the key-holder better than the silk dress.

“Ariel, Naia, we're going."

"Going?" The clownfish-mer parroted, leaning over the lip of their tank while Naia clung to her tail. "Going where? Oh, are we going on an adventure?!"

"Yeah, an adventure." Hikari agreed, kicking off her heels and reaching up to lift both out with an easy strength that truly defied her size. "Horologium?"

A silver key flashed, and Law quirked a brow at the grandfather-clock-Spirit that appeared, hollow body already open for her to deposit the young mers inside.

"Keep them safe, okay?"

"Of course, hime." Horologium promised, closing his door firmly, Ariel's mouth moving soundlessly behind the glass. "Wow, this is neat! They said."

"Looks comfortable." The Paramecia drawled, and there was suddenly a little spark of laughter in her eyes.

"You haven't been inside after nearly getting buried in an avalanche. He's actually quite cozy."

Oh, and _there_ was the woman Law remembered from the video, already two steps ahead and just a touch teasing, as if this was expected after all and she was merely falling back into a familiar role.

“As interesting a story as that sounds, we _do_ have places to be." He replied, a reminder for both of them that this was a mission with a time limit, and Hikari hummed in agreement.

"Right. Horologium, stay-"

The tower shook violently, like a snow globe in an excited toddler's hands, and Law was surprised at the sudden firm grip on his forearm that helped him steady, blinking down at wide gold eyes.

"Mugiwara-ya might be having some trouble outside."

Another tremor, and Hikari held out a hand to keep Horologium upright before he stumbled into a wall.

"Pro tip: _start leading with that_."

Without a moment of hesitation, the pinkette turned and kicked the heavy door of her room right off its thick steel hinges, Law trying to ignore the flutter in his chest and focus on the two knights that were now pinned underneath the splintered wood, unconscious.

"Come on." She grumbled, something like resigned amusement in the edges of her mouth. "Before my genius captain makes an even bigger mess."


	44. Heartfilia Arc: Part 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> So, here's the main climax of the Heartfilia Arc! Just one more chapter to go until the next arc, I swear! This one was super hard, since it's literally the first real scene I imagined when starting this story months ago and I wanted to do all the emotions justice. Hoping it worked!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

Kid would admit that he had not exactly _watched_ the fight against Kumadori at Enies Lobby.

There had been other fights to focus on- _because holy fuck, Luffy could take a beating, and whatever trick Zoro pulled against that giraffe-guy was pretty wild_ -and he had, honestly, been a little drunk at the time.

“Cherry Blossom Sticky Sap!”

Quilinus cursed at the mess spilling over his foot, stumbling back when it stuck in place-

“Script: HOLE!”

His hand went _through_ the wall instead of stopping against it, nose smashing on the crown molding-

“Sky Dragon’s Wave Wind!”

This wrenched him around, floor cracking open in a spray of crumbled marble-

“Iron Dragon’s Two Swords Style: Demonic Damascene!”

Kid whistled at the impressive spray of blood, watching Quilinus topple like a felled tree under this combined assault, thoroughly impressed.

“Not bad.”

“I’d like to see you do better.” Gina taunted, and the redhead grinned.

Quilinus groaned as his body was hauled off the destroyed floor, blood smearing and armor creaking under the strain, and the entire castle quaked when the 'giant' was tossed like a ragdoll, windows crashing open in waterfalls of glass, before being thrown up into the ceiling, swung around into another wall, smashed into the tiles-

Clinging to Gina's back, Chopper and Lassoo peeked around to take in the downed knight with wide eyes, Lily blinking owlishly as Sora landed on that massive back with a confused chirp.

"...Okay, that was pretty good."

"Are you trying to kill all of us?!"

All eyes turned to a furious Nami by the somehow-still-intact door, iron-clouds cocooned over her, Vivi and Karoo that tossed aside heavy chunks of ceiling.

As one, every child pointed right at Kid.

“He did it.”

“OI!”

“Chopper! Sora!”

Usopp’s breathless, wheezing shout had both whipping around, and Sora was at his side in a gush of wind, whining at the bloodied, bandaged Kilala in his arms as the sniper stumbled the last few feet of his run.

“It’s okay.” Chopper assured, Lassoo taking on his hybrid-form as the large Zoan approached with long strides to check her over. “The bleeding has stopped...She’ll be just fine, So-chan, Usopp.”

“That’s a relief.”

Nami breathed out her own relieved sigh as Robin appeared from behind her, Franky grinning at her back.

“It seems that, so far, no one has been too seriously hurt.”

“These guys were SUPER easy!” The cyborg agreed enthusiastically, tipping up his glasses to look around as the pirates reconvened. “Looks like you guys didn’t have any trouble with that guy, either!”

“Didn’t even break a sweat.” Kid jeered, using his Devil’s Fruit to toss their unconscious enemy out of the way, much to Nami’s vehement protests as the room shuddered.

“SERIOUSLY!?!”

“I’m sure that Luffy and Zoro have done worse.” Robin noted as Franky cackled, Karoo cowering with a squawk behind Nami when a spray of marble-dust grazed his tail.

“Well, the building hasn’t been cut in two, so we’re already coming out ahead.” Gina drawled, Lily smacking her cheeks gently with a sigh.

“Ah, where’s Zoro and Sanji? We need to catch up with Luffy!”

“NAMI-SAN!”

“Well, there’s one.” The Iron Dragon pointed out as a love-hurricane burst into the room.

“ROBIN-CHAN! VIVI-SAN!”

“Looks like he didn’t die.” Kid noted, rolling his eyes as the cook furiously fussed over the ‘lovely ladies’.

“Just my luck.”

Chopper beamed from where he was tightening the bandages across Kilala’s flanks as Zoro appeared, glaring at an exasperated hybrid Funkfreed.

“Of _course_ the shit-cook got here first.”

The poor elephant-sword trumpeted, ears flapping in frustration, and the cloud-cat visibly laughed as Zoro’s eyes narrowed.

“If you’re talking about that turn back there, I was not lost! The hallway moved!”

Lassoo plopped a paw over his eyes, as if that would hide his snickering, and Lily rubbed at her temples as Nami heaved a sigh.

“Now it’s just Luffy out there causing havoc.”

"Mama?" Sora wondered, nuzzling between her cloud-cat’s ears with a low churr.

"That’s right, we need to keep moving!" Usopp agreed, worrying the staff of his Kabuto as Robin inclined her head.

"I'm sure our captain will catch up soon enough, but Hikari-san is our priority."

"You won't be getting that far."

The sound Sora released was like a mix between a cat’s hiss and a Sea King’s roar, nearly puncturing Kid’s eardrums with how it grated alongside the bone-deep snarl Gina produced, an iron-scaled arm wrapping protectively around Lily to pull her close.

Jomei was thoroughly unruffled by the sudden aggression now being directed his way, arms crossed leisurely behind his back.

“Such disrespect...I didn’t expect any better from the pests my daughter has been cavorting with.”

“You…” Zoro seethed, Funkfreed snapping into his sword-form as Nami’s mantle went black with swamp-cloud and hissed static, Usopp loading a pellet into his Kabuto and Franky cracking his knuckles.

“So, _you’re_ the asshole we’ve been hearing about.” Kid sneered, power tingling under his skin.

“That you could hurt Hikari-hime like this...” Sanji grit out around his cigarette, Chopper clicking fresh ammunition into Lassoo’s barrel. “I’ll make you regret ever hurting such a wonderful woman!”

Robin frowned at the way Jomei failed to so much as bat an eye, gaze turning leisurely to the ‘giant’ that lay crumpled not too far from him, cold.

“To think they were so easily beaten...A disgrace to their position.”

“How dare you?” Vivi burst, Karoo ruffling his feathers with a furious squawk. “Don’t you care about any of your people?! Your daughter?! Do any of them even matter to you?!”

Kilala hissed at the cutting look sent her way at that.

“What use are weaklings like you to a god?”

“That’s rich, coming from a guy without any guards!” Nami bit back, and Robin crossed her arms at the slow quirk of his brow.

“Did you believe that these peons were the _true_ guardians of the Heartfilia family?”

A draft came through, ominous as a death knell, and it only took one look at Sora's startled face for Kid to know this was not good.

What appeared could best be described as an apparition, a hulking black mass that rose at Jomei's back with a sigh of wind that reminded Robin eerily of a graveyard, multiple sets of red eyes glowing from a dark-furred face, massive, spiked horns curling from the forehead like a goat's.

"Take out this trash."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Knuckles cracked and smeared faintly red, Luffy blinked and stumbled upright, a touch light-headed as the effects of Gear Second faded.

Xandra lay a few feet away, the imprint of his fist denting in her face, and the castle had stopped shaking and smoking...

Then, there was a roar.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things went sideways very quickly.

For something so big, the beast moved almost blindingly fast, and Kid was coughing up marble dust before he could even blink, an ache radiating out from his torso.

“Ocho Fleur!”

Arms bloomed from the goat-like creature’s shoulders, trying to restrain his swinging arms as Nami brought down a sheet of iron-clouds to divert the blow aiming for a startled Vivi’s head.

“A Hundred And Eight Pound Phoenix!”

“Aperitif!”

“Cherry Blossom Blast!”

“Fire Bird Star!”

"Weapons Left!"

A gush of wind sent the attacks off-course, exploding against the floor and walls, forcing Nami to throw up a shield of iron-clouds to block the debris.

"Iron Dragon's Two Swords Style: Seventy-Two Pound Raven!"

The attack dissipated against an open palm, harmless as a summer breeze, and Gina growled out a curse-

"Sky Dragon's CRUSHING FANG!"

At least two sets of eyes widened at the screaming winds that tore into it’s suit-covered chest, forcing the goat-beast to skid backwards, and Lily clapped her hands together.

“Script: TWISTER!”

The full force of her Word was blunted by a wave of a furred hand, but it gave Sora time to get in close, eyes a furious silver and fangs bared in a snarl.

"SKY DRAGON'S LEADING SKY ARROW!"

Her wind-encased leg slammed forward-

The young dragon yelped at a sudden grip around her ankle, Franky tumbling back as he caught her midair, Zoro and Sanji lunging.

“Toro Nagashi!”

“Poitrine!”

A heavy gust threw them aside into what remained of a wall, Usopp raising his Kabuto with a heavy scowl.

“FIRE BIRD STAR!”

“CHERRY BLOSSOM BLIZZARD!”

The pink flames were swept away, a shadow falling over their hulking adversary.

“PUNK GIBSON!”

A sudden whirlwind ripped through the metal appendage like the blades of a blender, but arms sprouting out of suit-covered thighs brought their enemy to his knees before he could properly retaliate, more blooming from his back and hips.

“Veinte Fleur! TWIST!”

A Peacock Slasher wrapped around the goat-beast’s arm before he could swat at Robin, Karoo squawking as he grabbed Vivi up and helped her pull, their opponent landing heavily on one side.

“A Hundred And Eight Pound Phoenix!”

“Aperitif!”

“Punk Rotten!”

“Iron Dragon’s Kunai!”

“Script: CANNONBALL!”

“Iron Ring Tempo!”

“Trench Mortar!”

“Sky Dragon’s Roar!”

“Cherry Blossom Barrage!”

“Fire Bird Star!”

Six sets of red eyes flashed.

Like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, all of them were tossed back by a furious cyclone, bouncing off the floor with aborted cries.

Usopp wheezed at a hoof landing on his chest, one hand scrambling at a slack-covered leg-

"USOPP!"

A roar rattled the shards of glass scattered across the floor, hanging stubbornly in their frames, and Kid was startled at the fury displayed as Gina slammed into the creature's chest like an iron-scaled cannonball with a snarling, yowling noise that left no question that targeting the sniper had been a _very unwise_ decision.

Usopp squeaked at suddenly being yanked out from underneath this sudden brawl, jaw dropping when Kid leaped over him.

“Repel!”

Scraps of metal shot off like machine-gun-fire, a tight funnel rising to knock this assault aside as Gina was grabbed by his magnetic power and flung into Sanji’s arms before her scales could be scored even deeper.

“Sky Dragon’s ROAR!”

The dueling currents cancelled each other out, leaving a split-second opening that Nami took advantage of.

“IRON THUNDERBOLT TEMPO!”

The flash was blinding, _scorching_ , there was no way-

Nami lurched back, eyes going wide at the fist swinging towards her face-

“GUM GUM BULLET!”

The shockwave of two forces meeting sent her tumbling head-over-heels, and Usopp was almost in tears.

"L-Luffy!"

Kid huffed out a smirk as the rubber Paramecia shoved the much-larger fist back, skin still pink and chest heaving from the aftershocks of Gear Second even as he glared.

“You’re not laying another finger on my crew.”

“Monkey D Luffy…”

Jomei had not moved so much as an inch, arms still casually folded and not a single wrinkle in his suit, but his eyes narrowed on the rumpled pirate standing defiantly before him.

“You D’s always cause such problems. Of course, she would decide to associate with one of _your_ kind. It will take weeks for her to relearn her place.”

There was fire in Luffy’s eyes even as his face stayed furiously blank, knuckles going white.

“Stupid.”

The air suddenly went still and dead, Zoro smirking around Wado’s hilt as Kid barked out a laugh at the sudden affront on Jomei’s face.

“You have to be _stupid_ to hurt Kari.” Luffy asserted, teeth bared in a snarl rather than a grin, as his crew managed to regain their feet. “Because I’ll kick the ass of _anyone_ who hurts my nakama.”

Jomei’s face set into stone, and his underling shifted, shoulders rolling back to somehow appear even wider than before.

"Strong words, for a piece of scum. Deal with him."

A step forward, winds rising-

"STOP!"

The beast froze in place like a statue, all eyes turning towards the opposite door to find a breathless Hikari, Horologium stumbling to a stop behind her.

If Kid had thought she was damn hot on a screen, he was giddily surprised to find the view even better in person.

A view that was happily not obstructed _at all_ by her somewhat-tattered dress.

“Kari!” Usopp blubbered, the crew brightening with relief.

“Kari-chan!”

“Sis, you’re okay!”

“Hikari-hime!”

“Kari, we’re here!”

“Stubborn idiots…” She muttered as Law appeared, taking in the tableau with a sigh.

“Kari!” Luffy shouted, lighting up like the sun peeking out from behind thick clouds, and Zoro slid Sandai Kitetsu back into its sheath. “Kari, we came to get you!”

The pinkette started to smile, all resigned and fond-

“Ridiculous.”

And just like that, all the light seemed to go out of her, a heavy steel wall slamming down behind those big honey-dark eyes as she seemed to curl inward, and Kid wanted to punch that man’s face in.

“To truly believe _she_ is worth all of this… It's amazing how stupid you are."

Law glared at the cutting look Jomei sent her way, grip shifting on Kikoku in preparation to draw the blade, as Funkfreed trembled in Zoro’s hand.

“She’s nothing but a failure, a disappointment that has yet to be useful in any way. The only purpose she has is to bear children, and she has yet to do even _that_ by acting like a foolish child playing _pirate_. Why would you come here for someone like _her_?”

And what broke Luffy’s heart right then and there, seeing the way she hid under the brim of his hat, was the realization that Hikari _believed that_.

“B-Because…”

Knees knocking, Usopp straightened at the attention suddenly swung his way, grip going white-knuckled on his Kabuto at the startled expression on Hikari’s face.

“Because we all do what we can! Kari-You’ve taken care of us this long, right?! You did what you could, so we’re doing the same!”

This seemed to crack right through that wall, a shimmer of tears returning.

“Usopp…”

“Yeah! You’re never alone, right sis?!” Franky agreed, Gina lurching upright.

“Of course not! We’re not gonna let him hurt you anymore!”

Sora released a keening sound, eyes big and purple and wet, at the way Hikari bit her lip, shoulders shaking, as Chopper blubbered through his tears.

“We’re not the kind of people who care if you’re a World Noble!”

“After everything you’ve done for me…” Lily whimpered, rubbing at her eyes furiously. “I could never leave you here again!”

“Like we haven’t dealt with ego-maniacal tyrants before.” Nami voiced, lower lip trembling around a smile. “You’re nakama, Kari-chan. We want to help you.”

The pinkette was tense as a bowstring, hands curling into such tight fists that her palms stung, and Vivi sniffled on a nod.

“Back on Drum...You were worth risking Alabasta, and you’re worth saving now!”

“There’s nowhere we would rather you be than with us.” Robin assured, tears hanging off her lashes, and Sanji’s smile was warm and understanding and horribly sad.

“A man like him...He’s too stupid to appreciate you, Hikari-hime. You have us now, and if he wants to say anything about it, we’ll make him regret it.”

Zoro had only seen that look on Hikari’s face once before, after being sliced open by a black blade and held together by her hands, tears threatening to fall but holding on to that last little sliver of control…

“ ** _He sees caring about others as a weakness. And he hated that Hikari-sama always cared, so he tried to make her stop._** ”

“Kari.”

Through the film of tears, she managed to focus on Zoro’s face.

“We’ve never done anything we regret. We’re not about to start now.”

Luffy’s heart twisted at the way she seemed to crack open, voice soft and low.

“You’ve been worrying about everyone this whole time, trying to keep us safe, even when it hurt…”

Her next breath shook, fire and steel snapping to life in his eyes.

“So, let us worry about you, too! I can’t be Pirate King without you, so if it’s selfish for you to want to be with us, then _be selfish and come back_!”

This felt like watching that moment in Enies Lobby, that cursed flag turning to ash, only Kid could _feel_ the weight of his chosen ally’s conviction as it broke right through the last layer of Hikari’s doubts, tears gushing free.

“Y-You…”

"Enough of this nonsense." Jomei bit out, startling the pirates from their moment. "Get rid of them."

Luffy stumbled back a step at a sudden gust of wind, already pulling back a fist as Kid magnetized a length of dragon-iron into his hands, everyone raising their weapons-

And blinked at the length of starlight that wrapped around that thick-furred neck, watching in shock as their enemy was yanked right off his hooves and flung around through a wall before their gazes panned as one to the perpetrator.

One hand holding that precious straw hat in place, cheeks wet, Hikari lifted her head with a golden, slit-pupil glare as stardust fell from her fingers.

"If you want to touch any of them, you'll have to go through me first."

“Oh, dear.” Horologium muttered, and Law tipped his head in confusion when the Spirit stepped up to partially shield him as their enemy rose, winds gathering at his hooves at a nod from Jomei. “This is going to be rather bad. We should move back.”

Luffy just grinned as moonlight sparked around Hikari’s feet.

Gusts shot out, sharp as blades and twice as fast-

“Celestial Dragon’s Whip.”

Star-fire arced off the pinkette’s raised fingers, twisting just right to flick each aside, the tip CRACKING to divert a kick aimed at her head.

“Celestial Dragon’s Iron Fist.”

Their fists met with a shockwave of air and stardust, nearly throwing the watching pirates head-over-heels, and Kid felt his heart do a little flip when she _moved_.

Blindingly-fast, the pair devolved into a flurry of punches and kicks, each connection throwing wild sparks as they almost seemed to dance, neither landing a hit against the other.

Hikari blocked a blow against a braced forearm, winds skittering past, and her eyes widened.

She had expected that to send her staggering, to maybe even bruise bone...

But it _didn’t_.

Twisting her grip, the goat-like monster only had a moment to bleat in surprise before she pivoted hard on one foot and tossed him over a shoulder, floor caving in under his weight from the sheer momentum.

Kid blinked, because while he knew the pinkette was strong, it was almost mind-blowing to see someone roughly half his size just chuck someone _even bigger_ practically across the room without breaking a sweat.

Rising with a low grunt, the beast turned back with a twelve-eyed glare, and the smirk that crossed her face, sharp-edged and confident, had the Paramecia’s heart swooping down low in his gut as the Straw Hats cheered.

 _Hot damn_.

A furious gale, and Hikari side-stepped neatly to avoid the following lunge, Jomei’s calm facade cracking.

Whirling back around in a spray of arcing blades of air, the goat-creature practically roared as Hikari dodged left, right, closing the distance with a CRACK-

Spinning in under a raised arm, hooking a leg behind his knee, Hikari _slammed_ her opponent down so hard that the floor caved in a rather explosive fashion.

A whirlwind burst out, slicing open the floor and walls and ceiling, but she did not so much as flinch, her dress shredding open in splashes of blood-

Everything seemed to stop when Hikari’s fist stabbed through his chest.

Six sets of eyes went wide as a tear dampened the fur of his cheek, meeting the remorseful honey-dark gaze above him as she pulled back, a golden key glinting as stardust burst from the hole in her opponent’s chest while his bulk faded, leaving her kneeling on the damaged stone.

“...I’m sorry, Capricorn.”

"Holy shit…" Nami breathed, stunned, as Hikari pressed the key close, a low chime rattling free.

"Was that…?" Vivi managed to whisper out, horrified.

"It would appear so." Robin murmured, low and subdued.

Waddling over carefully, mindful of the young mers in his torso, Horologium placed a gentle hand on his key-holder’s shoulder.

“You never fail to be a disappointment.”

Sora hissed, scales rattling, and Zoro dropped a hand on Gina’s shoulder before she could lunge forward, fangs bared, as ire rippled through the Straw Hat Pirates.

In contrast, Hikari was almost serenely blank, gaze turning to meet her father’s contained fury.

“Again and again, you insist on dragging this family through the mud, with no consideration of our standing or history. I should have known better, trying to mix in dirty blood, but you have put even my worst fears to shame.”

Horologium straightened, expression surprisingly fierce for such a comical-looking Spirit, moving forward as if to take a swing-

And stilled at a soft touch, turning back to his rising key-holder in concern.

With a nod, the clock-Spirit subsided as she stepped forward, calm and measured, even while Jomei continued his icy tirade.

“At every turn, you disregard centuries of decorum and tradition. If it wouldn’t have lessened your value, I would have _beaten_ respect into you years ago.”

Luffy was like a coiled spring, almost vibrating in place, Zoro’s jaw clenched tight enough one would expect sparks to fly from his molars-

“Just like your useless mother-”

A rush of starlight burst from her next footstep, and Kid snickered at the way Jomei stumbled back, visibly startled.

“Shut. Up.”

Hikari’s voice was all tightly-restrained fury, the low growl of a beast rolling underneath, and Law smirked when the World Noble actually seemed _afraid_.

“You don't get to talk about my mother. You don't get to talk about _my crew_."

Jomei retreated at her approach, all of that cold intimidation and cutting disdain crumbling away with every step.

"You got to talk for the last _eighteen years_. It's my turn, so **_shut your fucking mouth_**."

That tone, even directed at someone else, had the Straw Hats suddenly at-attention as the target went speechless.

"I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm a dragon. I'm a key-holder. I'm a First Mate of the future Pirate King. I'm all of that _in spite of you_."

Hikari glared, scales pebbling along her bare shoulders.

" ** _You have no power over me_**."

Those words were said with a finality that allowed no room for dissent or debate, sending a thrill down Kid's spine.

"You can't kill me." Jomei spat out after a few moments more, more desperate than certain, and Hikari hummed low, unreadable.

"I don't need to kill you. It's enough for me that you know your family name is going to die in obscurity with me, with all your plans ruined."

But she drew a gold key, blood already wetting the blade, and Jomei went pale when he recognized the design.

"Aquarius disagrees."

As said Spirit manifested from the brightness of her Gate, there was no doubt in Law or Kid that her earlier appearance absolutely paled in comparison.

 _This_ was the truest manifestation of the bond between key-holder and Celestial Spirit, Aquarius’ rage iridescent and sharpened by Hikari’s cool restraint as she settled, a faint celestial glow to her draconic eyes.

Sora squeaked at suddenly being picked up by Horologium, who blocked Chopper’s view while turning his back to the scene with a wince as hands sprouted to thoroughly cover Gina and Lily's eyes.

“This is for hurting _my kid_. **_Torrent_**.”

And if there had been any doubts, seeing a good _fourth_ of the building get essentially _vaporized_ was enough for Kid to know he never wanted to be on the wrong side of that attack.

Hikari released a deep breath, blinking sharply against a prickling heat-

Hands appeared at her hips, and the pinkette only had a moment to yelp before rubbery arms retracted to yank her across the room and into a laughing, grinning Paramecia.

"LUFFY!"

He just giggled, not caring one bit for all the blood smearing onto his skin and into his clothes, and Hikari twisted in that constricting hold with a glare only to meet a kiss.

"I'm glad Kari's back."

And the fearsome dragon was suddenly a blushing girl, who shoved that straw hat back on Luffy's head before ducking in for a quick peck on the cheek.

"Me, too."

"Don't go running off again." Zoro grumbled, pulling both in for his own kiss. "How many times do I have to tell you? Someone small like you is hard to keep track of."

Hikari flushed even brighter, mumbling about how she was fine, before the three were nearly toppled over by their impatient crew.

"KARI!"

"KARI-CHAN, I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE BACK!"

"ARE YOU OKAY?!"

"Holy fuck." The pinkette wheezed out, wrapping an arm around Sora once the young dragon wiggled in close, purring noisily. "Why-Are you crying?"

"No!" Franky blubbered, Chopper squeaking in surprise as the cyborg lifted everyone into a massive hug. "I just got some dust in my eyes!"

"Me, too!" Usopp sobbed, latching on like a koala as they were all dropped in a weepy pile.

“We’re all very glad you’re back.” Robin translated for her emotion-choked crewmates, watching with an indulgent smile as Law snorted out a laugh.

Then Sanji noticed something very important, and was suddenly catatonic.

“Damn it, woman! How do you keep doing this shit to your clothes?!”

And now that Kid was no longer distracted, he was suddenly _very aware_ that her dress had been almost ripped to shreds by that last assault from Capricorn, the blood still leaking sluggishly from various shallow cuts doing more to hide things than the bits of cloth still hanging tantalizingly off her body.

“Like you never lose clothes during a fight, Zoro!”

“That’s different!”

“How is that different?!”

Hikari yelped at a heavy weight draping over her head, straightening up with a shake to blink down at the black-feathered, gold-detailed jacket before glancing up at the owner in confusion.

Damn, but seeing her practically swallowed up in his jacket had Kid’s heart doing a flip, and he turned away with a huff.

“Shouldn’t dangle fresh meat in front of starving dogs like my crew.”

Considering him a moment, she smiled.

Zoro sighed, but there was a quirk to his mouth as Hikari did up some of the buttons and tied the sleeves over her bust, shoulders left bare once the last of her dress was tossed aside.

“Thanks.” She replied sincerely, and Law sympathized with the way his fellow captain’s ears turned red.

“Whate-”

A static-filled crackle filled the air, Nami wincing as Vivi clapped a hand to her ear.

“ _Luffy!_ ” A Transponder Snail relayed from somewhere in the battered castle, echoing off the walls and having said Paramecia perk up.

“Sabo?”

“He must be calling from a Snail at the gate.” Gina noted, eyes narrowing.

“ _Luffy, you all need to get out here!_ ” Sabo ordered, tone steely. “ _We just spotted a marine ship heading right for us! It’s Admiral Kizaru!_ ”


	45. Heartfilia Arc: Part 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> FINALLY, the last chapter of the Heartfilia Arc! And it's a doozy, if I do say so myself.
> 
> Sorry this took so long, I really caught myself in a bad loop, not liking how the fight was turning out but not knowing how to change it to make things better, but a little break reset my brain. Hopefully, you all like it!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

“WE’RE GONNA **_DIE_**!!!”

Hikari dropped her face into a palm as Nami, Usopp, Vivi, Chopper, Karoo and Lassoo fell into hysterics, Kilala rolling her eyes while Sora watched in confusion.

“If it’s not one thing, it’s another…”

“Welp, we tried.” Gina deadpanned, dusting off her hands. “Guess I’ll see all of you in hell.”

“Gina!” Lily scolded with a smack to the Iron Dragon’s arm as Kid snickered.

“What?!”

“We’re not gonna die.” Zoro voiced, straightening up with a frown as Franky lifted a bloody-nosed Sanji off the ground, and she gave him a deadpan look.

“I don’t know if you remember this, pop, but last time we fought an Admiral didn’t go so well.”

“The fact you survived an encounter with an Admiral shouldn’t be surprising…” Law noted, rubbing his temple. “And yet…”

“It’ll be different this time.” Luffy asserted, smile fierce and confident, and Hikari blinked at the dark bandana being offered to her by a patient Zoro.

“Right?”

She was quiet for a long moment, thoughts turning over in dark eyes, before there was a golden spark.

“Right.”

Accepting the cloth, Hikari rocked up onto her feet, already gathering her hair up into a ponytail with squared shoulders.

"Usopp, you'll need to take them."

"Wha-?"

The sniper yelped at suddenly having a pair of mers dumped into his arms, nearly toppling from the extra weight, as Horologium snapped off a salute and disappeared back through his Gate.

“Gemi, Mini."

Kid blinked at the strange little Spirits that appeared, silent and watchful rather than giggling as they usually were, and Nami came to an abrupt halt in her panicking when grabbed by the shoulders firmly.

"I need you to make as big a mirage as you can in front of that wall."

“Okay?” The navigator answered, twisting apart her Perfect Clima-Tact and stepping up to said decimated wall past Aquarius despite her confusion, and Robin smiled as hands bloomed to help steady the excitable clownfish-mer currently sitting on a whining Usopp’s shoulder as he hugged the other, calmer dolphin-mer close.

“So you already have a plan, Hikari-chan?”

“I’ve got a _chance_.” She replied, turning to approach the mermaid-Spirit, peering out at the water and the marine battleship bobbing closer. “But it’s better than nothing, which is what chance we’d normally have.”

“Like we had against Aokiji?” Zoro voiced, tension coiling tight in his shoulders, and Aquarius scoffed.

“Better, actually...Do you know what Fruit Borsalino ate?”

Law frowned, flipping through his mental catalogue of known Devil’s Fruit users...

And went still at a flash on the water.

There was a blinding blaze of light, just for a moment, before the entire castle seemed to quake and threatened to come tumbling apart.

Nami turned back to her crew with wide eyes, still clutching the pieces of her weapon tight, and whimpered.

“Please tell me that wasn’t my fault.”

“Can’t do that.” Hikari replied bluntly, stepping outside past her with Aquarius, Gemi and Mini close behind. “But with any luck, I’m about to piss him off a hell of a lot more.”

The navigator blinked, registering her words a moment later...

Along with everyone else.

“ ** _KARI_**!!!”

Scrambling out after her, jaws dropped at the deep trench nearly splitting the hill underneath the castle in two, the tower having fully toppled thanks to its base being demolished, and the courtyard somehow even more of an unidentifiable mess than Luffy had left it.

Rising from this wreckage was none other than Admiral Kizaru, suit thoroughly rumpled and stained with soil and sunglasses askew on a stone-hard face, and Usopp released a high-pitched sound that made Sora yelp in surprise.

Because he did _not_ look happy.

In contrast, Hikari looked amazingly calm, watching him steadily while Gemi and Mini spun like worried moons around her shoulders, Aquarius’ grip shifting on her urn.

“I don’t suppose asking you to leave would work.”

There was no denying the twitch that overtook Kizaru’s face then, a violent tick that contorted his expression into a snarl.

“No.”

Even Luffy bristled at that, fingers curled into tight fists, but Hikari just shrugged.

"Worth a shot."

Blowing out a long breath, the admiral straightened and dusted himself off, visibly regaining control.

“My orders are to take you to Dressrosa.”

The pinkette stubbornly held her ground, and Kizaru sighed, crossing his arms.

“Too bad. Yasakani no Magatama.”

Spheres of light formed between crooked fingers, and blue sparked off Law’s hand-

Only to find the incoming attack suddenly _gone_ , blinking sharply and glancing down at only the beginnings of a Room hanging over his palm, before all eyes turned to see tendrils of radiance disappear past parted lips, a pink tongue licking the remnants away to reveal a hint of fangs.

Their adversary was abruptly very, _very_ pale at the wings that flared from Hikari’s back, gold-silver scales pebbling across sun-dark skin.

“What’s wrong, Kizaru?”

Holding out her left hand, she smiled at a twin touch to the palm, and Kid felt a giddy thrill at seeing a mirror image appear, two pairs of gold eyes sparking with lightning.

“We’re just getting all fired up.”

A harsh CRACK, and the main trunk of that fallen tower exploded into powder, flashes of light peeking through the thick veil of fine debris as it slowly fell, buffeted this way and that as the shine darted about.

It took a few disorienting moments for anyone to realize what those lights were.

"KARI!"

"Hold it, you brat!" Aquarius snapped, catching Luffy by a rubbery cheek before he could run into the growing destruction. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Let go!" He shot back, only able to get a couple yards away and still pulling against the strain. "I'm gonna punch his face!"

"You go in there like you are now, and you'll get killed."

That brought Zoro up short, Wado creaking under his palm as Luffy slowed, being pulled back as his cheek began to regain its original form.

"You can't even see them, can you? It's taking everything she and Gemini have to keep Kizaru over there and not burning all of you to ashes. Unless you suddenly learned how to Shave, you'd only be in the way."

A corner of the castle was suddenly blasted away, the ground nearby cratering once, twice, and Vivi gasped at a splash of red over upturned soil, unable to tell who was injured in the blur of motion.

“So we’re just supposed to stand here?!” Chopper nearly wailed, Lassoo whining, and Usopp rocked back on his heels, hugging Ariel with one arm when she quieted.

“We’ve gotta help somehow! Maybe slow him down, or-”

Gina straightened sharply, nearly knocking Lily right off her feet in surprise.

“SORA!”

The Sky Dragon squeaked at suddenly being grabbed by the shoulders, looking up at her sister with wide silver eyes.

“That thing you did at Enies Lobby! Can you do it again?!”

Franky’s jaw dropped as the memory came back to him, Sanji nearly choking on his cigarette, and Law turned abruptly.

“Not everyone…” Sora admitted, ears tilting back guiltily, and Gina visibly tried not to show how scared she must have felt in that moment at a sudden roar just before a flash of light deviated suddenly into the castle only a few yards away.

“How many can you do?” Law asked more calmly, very aware that the fight was inching closer, and Sora frowned in thought before holding up four fingers.

“Then it should be the four strongest of us.” Sanji noted, lighting a cigarette. “...Law, Kid, you should join Luffy and the marimo.”

Usopp about choked as Nami, Vivi, Franky, Gina, Chopper, Lassoo and Kilala nearly gave themselves whiplash, more than one jaw dropping.

"Sanji?!"

"It's the most logical choice." Robin agreed, which honestly caught Kid off-guard.

But Luffy was nodding, Zoro already placing Wado's hilt between his teeth, and Law shrugged at his questioning glance, grip shifting on Kikoku.

“Can’t let you go in there with that shit, then.” Gina grumbled after a moment, scales climbing up from clawed hands before a couple dozen sharp-edged blades slammed into the ground, and Kid flexed his fingers, grinning at how easily the dragon-iron practically leaped into his palm.

“Ready?”

With a nod, Sora pressed a hand to her fathers’ chests, tendrils of glowing air misting off spread wings, and shivers went up their spines at the feeling of a sharp breeze pressing into their skin, filling their lungs...

“Sky Dragon’s Enchantment...Ile Vernier.”

And suddenly, the fight was clear as day.

There was Hikari, or perhaps Gemini, blood dripping down her face and diverting a blow to her head with one arm while her ‘twin’ leaped up, foot glowing as it swung towards Kizaru’s head, his own hand rising-

“Shambles.”

The attacking dragon yelped, dropping into Zoro’s arms as the admiral was suddenly faced with a furious Luffy, fist already pulled back, and a veritable wave of dragon-iron.

“GUM GUM _JET GATLING_!”

“PUNK GIBSON!”

Caught off-guard as he was, the punch and a few metallic fingers actually landed for the briefest moment, throwing off his sunglasses, before Kizaru took elemental form and avoided the worst of the Paramecias’ momentum.

“Lightning Celestial Dragon’s Crushing Fang!”

Starlight-enhanced claws slashed into the Logia’s arm, opening the skin from shoulder to elbow, and ‘Hikari’ blinked at the tonfa shoved into her hands before adjusting quickly.

“Zoro!”

Pivoting, the swordsman swung around hard as Kizaru flashed away from another star-encrusted blow, raising a finger right between a startled Luffy’s eyes-

"Asteria Bolts: Celestial Dragon's Strike!"

The Logia grunted in surprise when the tonfa collided directly with his ribs, eyes going wide at the unmistakable feeling of-

“NOW!”

A quick Shambles, and Kizaru was surrounded with no way to escape.

“GUM GUM _JET BAZOOKA_!”

“GENOCIDE RAID!”

“GYUKI: _YUZUME_!”

“RADIO KNIFE!”

“LIGHTNING CELESTIAL DRAGON’S WING ATTACK!”

Two palms slammed into his face at frankly-absurd speeds as a cyclone of shrapnel cut through the thick fabric of his suit, one, two, three swords slicing into his chest and a fourth cutting cleanly through skin and muscle and bone to neatly sever one arm while claws pierced in a shock of lightning and burning star-fire, and Kizaru was sure he would have died in that moment without Armament Haki, even if it only barely held up under the onslaught.

Grabbing a wing, he twisted the dragon around to slam into Kid’s leading arm, breaking the hold of Sea Prism Stone to flash out of range, snatching up his own severed limb along the way to smack the second dragon off.

Adjusting, the large Paramecia caught her around the waist as the Straw Hat curled around the other to absorb the impact of her fall, already swinging 'Hikari' back around and flicking out a piece of dragon-iron after the Logia reattaching his arm.

Kid might not be a strategist, but he caught on quick.

“Trafalgar!”

“Shambles!”

A flash of Observation Haki, and Kizaru _just_ managed to dodge around the swing of her tonfa-

“GUM GUM _JET SLINGSHOT_!”

Only to have the other slam into his side, starlight burning and distracting him as the first slapped a hand to the ground and spun glowing feet around into his knee.

The three figures blurred a touch before Law’s eyes, still faster than he could register, and Zoro lunged in as a tonfa switched hands, the rounded tip pressing hard against the Logia’s hip.

“Tora Gari!”

Armament Haki kept even the cursed blade from slicing further than skin-deep, though the Admiral started cursing internally when he was Shambled away, a rubbery fist already snapping forward.

“GUM GUM _JET BULLET_!”

At the very least, the punch sent him flying free of the Sea Prism Stone, flashing around a spray of dragon-iron as Kid charged in.

Without the boost of an Enchantment, all anyone else could see were blurs of motion, pinballing this way and that too fast for the human eye to follow.

The only one they could see was Law, through the film of his Room, but even then, Kikoku’s blade was practically invisible as it swung through the air.

Robin could not help reflexively sharpening her ‘claws’, just like Franky kept shaking his shoulders loose and Nami kept twisting her Perfect Clima-Tact into new configurations and Vivi kept spinning her Peacock Slashers in tight circles and Sanji kept rocking side to side, all of them too restless to stay still.

Not being able to help ratcheted the tension higher with every lightning-quick exchange of blows, Aquarius's gaze flicking to Sora as glowing wind ruffled her scales, silver eyes locked on the battle and fueling the Enchantments despite the growing tremor in her hands.

Because for all that Kizaru was outnumbered and at a distinct disadvantage, he was not losing.

Cursing, Zoro used Sandai Kitetsu’s blade to deflect little bullets of light, already turning to slice through the leg coming at his head from the left before there was a disorienting Shamble and ‘Hikari’ was flipping over the Admiral’s kick, burning hands swinging down at his head.

Side-stepping, Kizaru brought a hand around and dodged neatly at another swap, a rubbery leg swinging over his head while firing a beam of light that forced Kid to abandon his offense to create a makeshift shield instead as the other dragon caught their enemy in an arm-bar to disrupt his aim, swallowing the brunt of his attack.

Landing heavily on her feet, 'Hikari' released a shaky breath, wings trembling as electricity arced weakly between ruffled scales.

Clearly, five days was not enough time to fully recuperate from the mess that was Water Seven and Enies Lobby...

Pressing the trigger in her Asteria Bolts, she sighed as the current seeped in, staggering upright and sending a look towards her ‘twin’ as she jumped free of the melee once Law Amputated a leg, weapons changing hands in a blink.

 _Now or never_.

Tumbling over the loose soil, a blur of silver-gold had Luffy bracing himself into a handstand, pushing up like a released spring at the touch of bare feet landing on the soles of his sandals.

Their target was more focused on Law, zipping around the dragon-iron flung at his throat by Kid and raising a glowing finger-

“Lightning Celestial Dragon’s SWORD HORN!”

Only a quick Shambles kept Zoro from being bowled over by the snarling dragon and cursing Logia, electricity crackling and limbs flashing, the ground tearing up in wide swaths as they grappled.

Twisting sharply, she pinned Kizaru’s shoulders down hard, claws digging hard to scrape bone-

The admiral bucked, eyes going wide at a tight loop of Fleuve D’etoiles suddenly pinning his arms as an unnaturally-wide smile spread across his opponent’s face.

“Survey the heavens, open the heavens…”

Kid pulled up short when the dragon crouched on Kizaru’s chest faded away in a shower of star-dust, the sky going from dusk to full dark as stars shone through, pinpoints of brightening fire in the growing twilight.

“All the stars, far and wide...Show me thy appearance…with such shine...”

Law turned, the words reverberating in his bones, to find Hikari a few yards back, Aquarius’ hands on her shoulders as she began to glow.

“Oh, Tetrabiblos...I am the ruler of the stars…”

Shoving himself up, Luffy marveled at the bright flares of light starting to coalesce around them, shimmering in rainbow colors and slowly circling closer to the trapped Admiral.

“Aspect become complete...Open thy malevolent gate...Oh, eighty-eight stars of the heavens…”

Said stars brightened, and Zoro swore he saw an after-image of her body imprinted on the curve of his eyes.

“Shine! URANO METRIA!”

And the world exploded.

The shockwave alone nearly tossed Kid off his feet, blinded and deafened for a few heart-stopping seconds by the ignition of star-fire, and Luffy could only just see Kizaru being swallowed up in the conflagration before having to look away.

After what felt like an endless few heartbeats, the stars slowly extinguished themselves, fading into sparkling dust as a smoke-trail arced through the air back out to sea, but everyone was riveted to the dimming glow off Hikari’s skin, the endless light of universes swirling in the depths of her eyes...

Then the light flickered, snuffed out, and she fell.

Someone screamed, Sora stumbling weakly, but Law was already moving, using the last of that Enchantment to catch her head before it connected with the ground, mind already shifting gears.

A quick press against her throat revealed only the barest flutter of a pulse, and Aquarius beginning to fade back through her Gate, clearly horrified and fighting to stay, made a pit open in the doctor’s stomach.

“LUFFY!” The Spirit shouted, seeming to snap the Paramecia to attention. “HER ASTERIA BOLTS!”

Eyes flashing, he turned with a rubbery SNAP to grab the discarded weapons and practically leaped over Law’s head, face lit by the discharge over black dragon-iron as he slammed the rounded ends into her chest.

Law had to lurch back to avoid worse than a static numbness in his fingertips, watching as the tongues of electricity seeped into her skin while singeing Luffy’s shirt and burning feathers off Kid’s borrowed coat.

But Aquarius was already gone, shunted back to the Celestial Spirit World, and that pit in his stomach deepened.

“Room.”

There was an almost painful stretch, his stamina dipping low, but he ignored it to encompass the three of them, Kikoku shifting in tattooed hands.

“Scan.”

Klaxons went off in Law’s mind as he practically watched a little flame stubbornly sputter, slowly going out despite the tinder being desperately thrown to keep it alight-

“Nami-ya! Your Clima-Tact!”

The navigator caught on immediately, already spinning out a darkening stormfront of iron- and swamp-clouds that crackled ominously, like some hulking beast.

“Iron Thunderbolt Tempo: DRAGON’S VENGEANCE!”

The flash and thunder was suitably impressive, leaving afterimages on Law’s vision, but-

_Why wasn’t it working?!_

According to his Scan, there was enough energy in that to jumpstart a Sea King, so why-

Then Law realized exactly why.

Hikari’s heart had stopped.

Cursing, he tossed Kikoku aside and lunged in before the sparks had fully dulled, placing both thumbs over her still heart.

“Luffy-ya, Nami-ya, again!"

With a stubborn nod, Luffy pressed the tonfa against her ribs, a spray of Thunder Balls thrown up into the dark clouds hovering over Nami's head, and Law caught a sudden movement in his peripheral.

"Script!"

 _This was going to hurt_.

“COUNTER SHOCK!”

“IRON THUNDERBOLT TEMPO: DRAGON’S VENGEANCE!”

“LIGHTNING!”

That moment of impact was bone-numbing, vision going white and ears ringing-

Then it was all gone, swallowed up by a startled inhale, and Law blinked the world back into focus, meeting gold eyes as they slowly darkened into honey, chest heaving for breath to regain pace with the heart _tha-thumping_ against his palms.

“KARI!”

Luffy was on the verge of blubbering, Zoro seeming to have lost the strength in his legs as he collapsed next to them, and Hikari blinked slowly.

“Is he…?”

“He’s gone.” Robin answered, and the dragon went lax on a long sigh.

“Good…”

And just like that, she slipped into dreams.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow petals twirled as they fell, graceful twists and spins before landing daintily on untamed grass, and she watched them for a moment, bark smooth against her back as dappled, stained-glass light shifted across her legs.

“Hikari…”

Blinking, the pinkette lifted her head to see a pretty blonde woman, her hair done up with a blue ribbon in a side ponytail that matched her buckled halter top, thigh-high boots crunching uncertainly through the fallen leaves.

“I’m so sorry…If I could have fixed things…”

Hikari had no idea what to say, eyes catching on the bright pink fairy tattooed on the back of her hand, as the other fell to her knees.

“But I was scared, and didn’t trust my nakama...And that meant you had to live through worse than I ever did.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” She protested, heart twisting heavy in her chest. “You didn’t mean to…”

“But I did it.” Heartfilia Lucy stated firmly, big brown eyes filled with tears. “And now you’re here, everything I ever wanted our child to be and more...believing that your life isn’t worth protecting.”

Heart a tight knot in her chest, the pinkette could not help a sniffle, trying to hold strong before a familiar presence registered in her peripheral, gentle hands wiping away a fount of tears as she collapsed into an embrace that smelled like warm embers and baking bread.

“Ma…”

“After everything, how can you not see how much they love you?” Nyoko murmured, rocking gently like she used to when Hikari was a child, startled awake by nightmares. “All the lives you’ve changed, the lives you’ve saved...We couldn’t be prouder of you.”

Hikari blinked blearily at the realization of more people stepping under the rainbow-tree, turning to take them in with growing confusion.

Because they seemed...familiar, even though she could not remember having met them before.

A young girl, not much older than Sora, with short dark hair and brown eyes, holding a wooden practice sword against her shoulder; a woman around Robin’s age with fuchsia hair shaved into a kind of mohawk, a toothpick caught between her teeth in a lopsided smile; another woman, with long dark hair and a similarly-long, pointed nose that niggled her memory, face delicate and soft; another pretty blonde woman, in a long dress with bangs covering half her face in a very familiar way, stepping carefully on bare feet; an older man with wild white hair in the shape of a cross, wearing a ratty dark coat and a top hat over a rumpled sort of suit, his grin wide; a woman with long white hair and blue eyes just like a pair she remembered on a similar face, subdued but relieved; a rotund yellow fishman, smiling through a white beard and holding himself in a way that echoed someone she knew, hands on hips…

“Who else is going to look after that motley crew?” Bellemere wondered, snickering to herself. “She needs all the help she can get with that lot.”

“You helped my boy believe in himself…” Banchina agreed, eyes swimming with tears. “I can’t ever repay you for that.”

“I know he’s a handful, but thank you…” Sora admitted, voice wobbling with emotion. “Thank you, for letting him know it’s not a weakness to be human.”

“Couldn’t have asked for a better son.” Hiriluk noted, wiping at his eyes. “And couldn’t have asked for anyone better to watch over him while he becomes the best damn doctor in the world.”

“After all these years...” Olivia murmured, cheeks growing wet. “You made sure my daughter knew she wasn’t alone. There’s no way I could ever thank you enough.”

“That boy caused you a lot of trouble.” Tom chuckled, grin warm even with his sharp fangs. “Thank you, for saving him from my mistake.”

“After saving his life, you’d better make sure he becomes the world’s greatest swordsman.” Kuina ordered, the stern set of her mouth wavering. “...For both of us.”

“You’ve changed so much of the world for the better.” Lucy voiced, meeting Hikari’s eyes steadily, the pinkette stunned into silence as more and more people filled what once seemed like an empty field. “And there are so many people that want you to live. My friends…”

The blonde smiled, sad and wistful.

“I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to carry on my dream.”

“There’s still so much for you to do.” Nyoko hummed, Hikari feeling like the world was starting to blur at the edges. “Don’t throw it all away when the world is waiting to see what you become.”

And Hikari fell back into her body with a crash of thunder.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the world started coming back into focus, the first thing Hikari registered was that she _ached_.

From the very marrow of her bones, every nerve seemed to pulse with little pinpricks of pain, as if the lightning that had saved her had also burned every last inch of muscle along the way.

The pinkette managed, after a few moments, to creak open weary eyes and focus on a wooden ceiling, a soft mattress creaking below her.

“You’re awake.”

Head turning with a low hiss towards the voice, Hikari blinked slowly to find Law setting aside a hardcover book on a desk against the opposite wall, eyes drifting to the furry body tucked up under one arm and the Sky Dragon curled up against her opposite side, fast asleep.

“How are you feeling, Hikari-ya?”

“Like I got run over by a herd of Sea Kings…” She replied, voice a bit raspy from lightning as she gently carded a hand through the ruffled fur of Chopper’s back. “So...a six out of ten on the pain scale…”

Law quirked a brow at this assessment, leaning back in his seat.

“Being technically dead for two minutes only warrants a six?”

“Things can always be worse…” Hikari noted, and the surgeon hummed in agreement as she sifted through resurfacing memories. “The others…”

“Are currently resting in their bunks.” Law answered, rising to approach the bed. “Unlike you, there were no injuries serious enough to require monitoring. A surprise, given how you all have invaded a Navy stronghold and the home island of a World Noble so recently.”

Unable to help a smile, the pinkette giggled weakly and allowed him to press a thumb against her wrist, careful not to jostle the exhausted pair in her arms.

“Good.”


	46. Supernova Alliance Arc: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Sorry this took so long, January proved to be a lot busier and more chaotic than I expected. Things have kinda evened out now, so at least there's that! Hopefully, I can get back to a more regular schedule. I've been more active on Tumblr, and have nearly finished the Smut Alphabet for my main poly here, so don't forget to go over there and take a look!
> 
> Enjoy, and stay safe!  
> DragonPrincess18

The Straw Hats without Hikari were, in a word, chaos.

To Law, they were constant, frenetic energy, almost restless, that could come to a furious focus against those that were foolish enough to earn their ire.

That was no less true now, _with_ Hikari, but...

It was as if the crew had settled back into their own skin, a tumultuous sea of frothing waves calming into a gentle turquoise current, still as wild but not so fierce.

Hikari, Law realized, was very much a stabilizing force on a crew that was as unpredictable as the Grand Line itself.

“It’s okay, Momoo, don’t cry…”

Standing on the aft-side stairs, Law quirked a brow at another gush of salty tears, lifting a foot to avoid getting the leather soaked.

“I know, it must have been scary, but I’m here.” Hikari cooed, petting Momoo’s muzzle as the sea-cow, half-collapsed over the ship, wrapped his flippers more tightly around her and bawled.

“When you said he was a big baby, I wasn’t expecting this.” Law admitted, and Gina snorted on a laugh from where she was leaning against the railing next to Lily, who was reading a thick book Robin had recommended.

“He can actually be pretty scary, if someone gets him mad.” Ariel piped up, fins flapping from where her tail was wrapped around Gina’s waist. “He beat up that Sea King that tried to eat me!"

It was honestly pretty adorable, seeing how fearless the younger children were in climbing her like a jungle gym and how the Iron Dragon just let them, Funkfreed hovering in his hybrid form to make sure the excitable mer kept her balance.

Actually, the entire crew seemed to be fairly nonchalant about the whole scene, like Sanji fussing over the dolphin-mer propped on his hip, plying her with fruit slices, or Franky tossing a squealing Sora over his head, swinging her around at the young dragon’s gleeful insistence under Robin’s indulgent supervision.

Usopp, Nami and Vivi were having a rather heated little discussion across the deck, little Chopper hopping to stay included while Lassoo yawned, a cloud-cat Kilala curled up on his back for a well-deserved nap while Karoo snored like a squeaky chainsaw.

" _Kari_ …" Luffy complained, practically melted across Zoro's lap and pouting as the swordsman stubbornly pretended to nap. "I want _cuddles_ …"

Terribly unimpressed, Hikari sighed and gently extricated herself from a sniffling Momoo with one last pat before turning with open arms.

Law could barely bite back a smirk at the way he just lit up, grin stretching across rubber cheeks with joy.

For all that the Straw Hat captain really _was_ a force to be reckoned with, he was honestly like a puppy, in constant need of food and affection.

With a rubbery SNAP, he Rocketed right into her chest, limbs looping around while happily burrowing between her breasts, practically purring.

The words 'lucky bastard' came to mind, given the movement revealed more of Hikari's cleavage in that little red tank top, and Law's gaze trailed down as his legs tightened over the swell of her hips, highlighting all that soft skin laid bare by those tiny jean shorts.

“You’re a menace.”

Luffy just giggled, and the pinkette rolled her eyes, head turning at a curious sound from Momoo.

Wiggling a bit, the sea-cow lowered himself in the water, becoming a more effective ramp for those that had arrived on the ravaged dock below.

“Finally awake, princess?” Kid taunted as he crested between curved horns, carrying a heavy barrel over one shoulder and a wooden crate tucked under the opposite arm.

“Call me that again, and we’ll see how far I can throw you overboard, anchor.” Hikari shot back, and the redhead cackled as he jumped down onto the grassy deck, towering over her without even trying.

"You talk to everyone bigger than you like that?"

"It's part of my charm." She drawled, muffled snickering escaping from the rubber captain attached to her torso as a smirk crossed Zoro's face. "Are you always an ass to everyone you meet?"

"It's part of his charm." Killer deadpanned as he dropped off Momoo's muzzle, tipping a nod. "Pleasure to finally meet you, Hikari-san."

"Ah, you must be Killer." She realized, starting to smile. "I apologize in advance for my captain, and offer condolences for yours."

"OI!"

Her fellow First Mate barked out a laugh at that, clearly enjoying how riled his captain was getting, and Law could hardly blame him.

From first impressions alone, he would not have suspected the pinkette to be so sassy.

“Same to you, Hikari-san.”

“Don’t encourage her.” Zoro warned, slitting an eye open now, though Law got the impression he was more amused than annoyed. “She’s already enough trouble.”

“Says Mister I’ll-Just-Cut-Off-My-Feet-I-Can-Fight-These-Assassins-Without-Them.” She snarked back, and Law almost gave himself whiplash as the swordsman sputtered.

“That was _one time_!”

“It was the same week as you nearly cutting your arm off _testing your luck against a CURSED SWORD_!”

“But I _didn’t_!”

“I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but that _IS NOT THE FUCKING POINT_ , RORONOA ZORO!”

“What about you nearly getting blown up by a city-destroying bomb?!”

“Those were extreme, extenuating circumstances!”

“And mine weren’t?!”

“NO!”

For having his significant others arguing rather loudly, Luffy was surprisingly content to just hang off Hikari’s torso and giggle, and Law wondered for a moment how stupid he was before catching on.

Because they had already seen Hikari angry, pushed to the limits of her mercy and patience into cold silence, and that was much different to now, the contrast between a raging storm and a firecracker, and Zoro was much the same.

The swordsman had been a tightly-contained wall of stone since that first meeting back on Water Seven, severe and controlled, but now that wall had cracked open and he was letting things slip through.

Honestly, it was rather cute how agitated he allowed himself to get over what sounded like a well-tread argument, especially when Sanji jumped in to ‘defend Hikari-hime’s honor’ and both rounded on the cook at once.

Chopper at least had the sense to take on his Heavy Point and pluck a confused Naia out of the line of fire.

Hikari paused in the middle of calling her boyfriend a ‘complete moron with the directional sense of a concussed earthworm’ and the cook a ‘fucking single-minded horndog’, however, and Law straightened.

"Merry.”

The little Zoan froze, peering up with big dark eyes in what was undoubtedly an effort to look as innocent as possible on her way to what must have been a storage room.

“Yes?”

“Why do you have an ax?”

Law was tempted to laugh at the exaggerated surprise Merry sported as she looked at said weapon in her hands, but held back with some effort, Kikoku rattling just a touch in her scabbard.

“Oh, I didn’t even realize I still had this!”

“Merry.” Hikari repeated with a tired sort of resignation. “Where did you get that?”

“Some dead guy.”

Clearly unimpressed, Hikari visibly aborted the urge to massage a growing headache between her eyes in favor of a heavy sigh.

“I should have expected that.”

Merry squeaked at suddenly being scooped up, little sheep legs flailing, and whined when the weapon’s long handle was taken from her hands.

“Gina.”

Without turning her head from reading over Lily’s shoulder, Gina caught the weapon one-handed and crunched into the blade like most people would a drumstick while Sanji shook his head at how the little Zoan deflated into a pout.

“Don’t even start with me.” Hikari scolded, pulling sharply on the Paramecia’s cheek at a muffled laugh. “Why didn’t someone take the ax from her sooner?!”

“We got tired after taking knives from her the entire way here.” Nami complained, only half-turning from her discussion, and Hikari’s expression dropped into something distinctly deadpan.

“What.”

Merry froze from where she was admiring a new knife, and Franky snorted on a laugh, Sora’s ears twitching in confusion.

“Okay, new rule.” She decided, taking the blade while turning the girl towards her with a firm glare. “Anyone under thirteen is not allowed to handle anything sharp without adult supervision. Luffy, Usopp and Kid don’t count as adult supervision.”

“OI!” Kid sputtered, his own crew bursting into peals of laughter.

"Does Sunny count?" Merry wondered, and Hikari glanced down, brow quirked.

"Sunny? Did I pick up another kid without noticing?"

"The ship." Merry elaborated on a giggle, kicking her hooved feet. "He said that he wants to be named Thousand Sunny, like one of his dads wanted."

There was an audible CLANG when Franky's jaw hit the deck, everyone turning to stare in disbelief, and Hikari just blinked slowly.

"The ship told you that."

The Zoan nodded, as if this was a perfectly normal thing to do, and Law was amazed at the way she just gave in with a sigh.

"Considering you're a ship that got turned into...whatever you are, I shouldn't be surprised."

"What?" Law deadpanned, and she gave him a tired, resigned look that said everything that could possibly be said about the situation.

"Right, they wouldn't have thought to mention it...Merry's our old caravel, the one that saved us at Enies Lobby. The wonders of Devil’s Fruits, huh?”

“So she…” Heat voiced, a bit dumbfounded, and Usopp grinned, scooping up a squealing Merry much like a proud father.

“Is the Going Merry, the best caravel to ever sail over Reverse Mountain!”

“...You’re fucking shitting me.” Kid finally said after a moment, and Luffy just giggled.

“Nope! Kari made sure we could save Merry while we were saving Robin!”

Rocking side to side, the rubber captain hummed in thought before nodding.

“Thousand Sunny, huh? I like it!”

Hikari shrugged, apparently going along with her captain’s complete glossing over of their old ship’s Devil’s Fruit transformation into some sort of Mythical Zoan, and the fact she _could_ was a testament to how strange their adventures through the Grand Line had been.

“And no, Sunny doesn’t count as adult supervision.”

“Aw…”

“Captain!”

Law turned his head at the familiar shout, spotting Shachi hopping on the dock below with a big grin as Penguin struggled with Bepo to steady their load of glass.

An anglerfish fishwoman had been happy to provide as much as Franky wanted when he asked, and the Hearts had offered to pick it up while on their own errands.

A quick Shambles brought them onto the deck, and years of practice kept them from face-planting, the cyborg collecting his spoils with a grin.

" _Super_ thanks!"

Shachi and Penguin failed to react, eyes glued to Hikari as she turned, and Law held in a sigh.

Honestly, he should have known that little red top and those shorts were going to short-circuit them…

"Oh, they're part of Law's crew!" Luffy introduced, apparently oblivious to the way their eyes were glued to her breasts.

"Sumimasen…" Bepo murmured immediately, whether for needing to be introduced or for his crew-mates' lecherousness was anyone's guess-

Both deflated when Hikari passed right by them, gesturing for the mink to lean closer, who fidgeted nervously for a moment before doing so, freezing when she reached up on tiptoe to rub cheeks.

"Garchu."

The way Bepo lit up at the gesture warmed Law's heart, Luffy squealing in glee at being enveloped in a furry bear hug along with her.

There was an aborted snort from the Heart Captain's left, and he saw the twitch of a smirk cross Zoro's face as Shachi and Penguin melted into disappointed little puddles of sexual frustration.

Served them right.

“It’s good to see you all so lively.”

Everyone turned to see Sabo hopping off Momoo’s horn, bowing low in greeting as Bepo gently set his ‘prey’ down.

“And a pleasure to meet you, Hikari-san. I can’t thank you enough for making sure my baby brother came back safe and sound.”

“Baby brother?” She echoed, connecting the dots even before Luffy popped up with a grin.

“Sabo’s my big brother!”

“...Big brother.” The pinkette repeated, utterly deadpan. “The Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army. The right-hand of the World’s Most Wanted Man. _That_ Sabo.”

Both nodded, and a tight smile formed across her face that had Kid already snickering in amusement.

“One moment, Sabo-san.”

Turning away, she focused on the completely-unaware rubber captain, and Law had to hold in a smirk with all his might.

“Luffy, sweetheart, light of my life…”

His head impacted the deck with a grass-muted BAM, bouncing back like a disoriented rubber ball on a string.

“WHAT THE _FUCK_?!”

“Kari…” Luffy whined, pouting in the face of a fierce glare.

“First Ace, and now this! HOW MANY FUCKING BROTHERS DO YOU HAVE!?!”

“Ace?” Kid muttered, the name clearly standing out to him, and Robin smiled beautifically, half-watching as Franky organized his new spoils.

“From what I understand, Portgas D Ace is also our captain’s brother.”

“Fire Fist Ace.” Law clarified, startled. “The Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.”

“He met up with us in Alabasta.” Zoro explained with a shrug, watching as his boyfriend’s cheeks were roughly stretched. “Kinda like Sabo met us at Water Seven.”

That sort of revelation would normally be surprising, especially knowing that this gave him an unexpected in to both a Yonko’s crew and the Revolutionary Army so long as the alliance held, but Law thought it was almost expected.

Monkey D Luffy seemed to make the impossible seem possible.

“Thank you, Sabo-san, for helping my crew while I was gone.” Hikari voiced, bowing back to an amused Sabo as Luffy pouted into her shoulder. “Here.”

The Revolutionary blinked at the little black book suddenly being presented to him, jaw audibly dropping once he recognized the words stitched on the cover.

“This is…"

"Figured you could put this to better use than us." She explained as his eyes went big and watery with gratitude, pointedly backing up out of arm's reach, much to Kid's clear enjoyment.

"After everything you've done…" He protested, holding back on the hug he wanted to crush them both in. "How can I possibly repay you?"

Oh, and _there_ was that thoughtful little spark of gold, like she was already forming a plan, and a shiver of anticipation skittered up Law's spine.

"Actually, Sabo-san...What do you know about Haki?"

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moment Luffy spotted the Victoria Punk and the Polar Tang approaching, he practically exploded with glee.

He wanted a feast, a party, an entire _festival_ to celebrate surviving what must have been a harrowing week, even by Straw Hat standards.

How he managed to rope most of Kid’s own crew into the idea was still a mystery, but at least he was getting alcohol out of it.

A bonfire roared merrily on the Thousand Sunny’s deck, all sorts of chairs and benches and tables scattered about for people to enjoy the abundant fare, the festivities spilling out onto the dock where minks and fishmen and the occasional human had come to celebrate their newfound freedom.

Killer had disappeared into the galley overhead with Sanji, apparently bonding over recipes or something while churning out food, and the rest of his crew had dispersed to mingle with the Straw Hats and Hearts scattered across the main deck.

Heat was in a surprisingly-animated discussion with Usopp by the fire, most likely about his weapon given how the sharpshooter was brandishing his Kabuto, and Nami was clearly fleecing Shachi, Penguin, Spike, Riff, Necro and Thrash in some sort of card game nearer the aft-deck, grinning like a cat that got the cream as all of them groaned in defeat, while Vivi giggled over her shoulder and Wire watched on in amusement.

Bepo was reclined against a railing nearby, snacking happily on some extra helpings of fish with a dozing Sora tucked under one arm, feather-scaled wings curled in like a blanket and Kilala tucked against her neck, and a yawning Naia safe under the other, clicking sleepily.

Franky and Robin were having a rather cozy chat off to the side, filling each other's glasses and leaning close, and Gina passed them with a roll of the eyes, Funkfreed peeking out under her arm.

Lily was talking with Chopper about one thing or another, both of them reclining on a sleeping Lassoo, and she smiled when the Iron Dragon returned with plates of food, moving her drink from a nearby crate for the other to drop onto.

Sabo must still have been on the dock chatting up the locals, like he had been for the last two days, though he sometimes saw that top-hat when glancing down at the dock.

Taking a swig of his beer, Kid's eyes were drawn to where Zoro was cheerfully drinking the majority of Law's crew under the metaphorical table, cheeks pink and smirking with glee at the buzz as Merry and Ariel cheered him on, and not far from him, Luffy had commandeered an entire table to feast from, devouring every last shred of meat that crossed his path and giggling as his sneaky hands snapped out to steal more from the plates of his unsuspecting drunk allies and guests.

Kid hid a snort in his mug at the confusion on Wire’s face when he failed to find that drumstick that had been unguarded on his plate just a second ago, eyes flicking over to Law where the other Supernova was reclining in a patio seat next to him, watching the chaos from an out-of-the-way corner as an impromptu band played whatever jaunty tune came to mind.

The entire party was noise and lights and the burn of alcohol down his throat, but he wondered...

“Here.”

The red-haired captain blinked at the plate of cabbage rolls, glancing up slowly to take in the woman holding it out to him.

Never had Kid appreciated a woman’s clothing choices like he did right now, lingering on those origami wrap shorts from Enies Lobby, the black leather an amazing contrast to the soft tanned skin of her thighs and the bright red lacy shorts underneath, but it was the little white halter top that really caught his attention, barely containing her generous breasts.

A kick to his chair jolted Kid out of the memory of those breasts covered in nothing but blood and tattered cloth, taking the plate with a short glare towards Law as he accepted one with onigiri, head tipping in a nod.

“If you want anything else, better make it fast.” Hikari warned, dropping carelessly into a nearby chair. “I’d give it another hour before Luffy starts gnawing on bones.”

“Worried, doll?” Kid taunted, tossing a roll into his mouth, and her eyes rolled in response.

“You’re the ones stuck with us, the least I can do is make sure you don’t starve.”

“You say that as if we didn’t choose to start this alliance.” Law pointed out, and the redhead quirked a brow at how Hikari shrugged.

“Yeah, but you decided that based off the footage from Enies Lobby, right?”

She gestured back towards the party, where Usopp had started up some sort of chant while Zoro and Nami entered a drinking contest over the fallen forms of their victims, Luffy and Vivi cheering on their boyfriend and girlfriend respectively as Ariel and Merry managed to convince Gina, Chopper and Lily to help in providing the frankly absurd amount of alcohol required as Karoo spread a wing over Lassoo to nap.

“Because _this_ is how we are about ninety-percent of the time. When we’re not destroying military bases and toppling governments.” Hikari explained, the tilt to her mouth too fond to really sell the tired exasperation she was going for. “And no one bothered to warn you, so I’m giving you a chance to back out.”

Kid almost choked on his next mouthful, mind tripping over that offer.

Yeah, it had not been his idea to make an alliance, but…

“As if Mugiwara-ya would let us just leave.” Law noted, playing it cool even while pointedly not making eye contact. "Besides, I still see this as a mutually-beneficial arrangement. There's no reason to back out now."

Swallowing to clear out the relieved sigh trying to rise out of his chest, Kid nodded.

"Not like anyone else is crazy enough to try keeping up with me."

Hikari was quiet for a long moment, dark eyes flicking between them like she was peeling back the layers of their souls, reading between lines Kid had no idea even existed-

And then she smiled, big and bright and heartfelt, as if finding just what she hoped to, leaving Kid a little dazed as his ears caught Luffy's laughter and the rumble of Zoro's voice.

"Well, if you're staying…"

There was a silver key in her hand and a sharp edge to her smile, and Kid felt like he was burning.

"How do you two feel about making the Navy's week even worse?"

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moment his exhausted Transponder Snail snorted awake and started to shift, Sengoku was horribly tempted to just throw the piles of reports and storm out of his office.

It was bad enough that Kizaru had come back empty-handed and beaten to the edge of consciousness, subordinates reporting the death of Heartfilia Jomei and the thorough defeat of all his knights, but the loss of an island so long under government control...

A screen flickered to life, and Sengoku fought the urge to knock his forehead against the nearest hard surface.

Was it too late to retire?

Then Hikari stepped into view, backlit by a starry sky and the dancing flames of a fire, and that was answer enough.

There were traces of mostly-healed cuts and bruises, but the smile on her face was much too sharp-toothed to allow any impression of weakness, eyes glittering gold in the wavering light.

“ _Hello, again_.” She greeted, far too cheerful after having faced a Marine Admiral in a protracted fight only a day or two before. “ _Everything got a little crazy after Enies Lobby, huh? But don’t worry, we’re all alive and kicking._ ”

Cheers rose up from out of frame, much louder than he would have thought such a small crew would make.

“ _Actually, we ended up making a few new friends._ ”

Sengoku dropped his pen when more unfortunately-familiar figures stepped into view, Eisaku having to adjust focus given how much taller they were.

“ _Hello._ ” Trafalgar hummed, leaning on his nodachi, and Eustass snickered, hands on hips to better show off a broad, naked chest.

“ _Didn’t think we’d miss out on an opportunity like this, did you?_ ”

Arms crossed, Killer tilted his masked head as if in agreement, as the pinkette rolled her shoulders with a little huff of laughter.

“ _I think we’ll get along just fine. Right, captain?_ ”

A grinning Straw Hat bounced into frame, swinging around Eustass’ elbow to drape over her shoulders, utterly unrepentant.

“ _Yup! ‘Cause I’m still gonna be Pirate King!_ ”

“ _We’ll see who gets there first, Straw Hat._ ” Kid growled, but without the biting anger he was known for, the younger giggling as he ducked under a half-hearted swat.

“ _Yeah, we’ll see._ ” Roronoa agreed as he appeared, and Sengoku wanted to just smash his head through a wall.

Because right in front of him were six Supernova, half of the most up-and-coming rookie pirates of their generation, in a joint alliance heading right for the New World.

To think his worst-case scenario had been Eustass and Straw Hat getting into a pissing contest on some unlucky island.

“ _Down, boys._ ” Hikari drawled, clearly amused, before her gaze refocused on the Spirit faithfully recording. " _Either way, you'll be seeing a lot more of us. Whether it's a good or bad thing…_ "

A smile crossed her face, and even the tilt of Straw Hat's head became predatory as the assembled Supernova glanced towards the Spirit smugly.

" _Well, that depends on you, doesn't it?_ "

The feed went black, and Sengoku's forehead met his desk with a wood-cracking THWACK.

He was too old for this shit.

" ** _GARP_**!!!"


	47. Supernova Alliance Arc: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> These scenes got a LOT longer than I expected, but I thought they were good establishment for what's coming. Things will really start moving along soon! In the meantime, I hope you all like this!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> DragonPrincess18

Franky was, in Kid’s opinion, a damn _beast_ of a shipwright.

The cyborg sure leaked like a damned faucet, but when he started a project, he finished it with time to spare and not a splinter out of place.

After stumbling out of his quarters, nursing a brutal hangover and cursing at every stab of sunlight in his eyes, Kid realized this very suddenly when faced with a slab of black draconic iron that nearly spanned from bow to stern that connected the Victoria Punk to the Thousand Sunny in a thick arch that shielded their port and Sunny’s starboard sides until mere yards from the water, rising over the railing just enough for a set of double doors to be visible.

Blinking slowly as his crew murmured in confusion, Kid glanced over to see Killer pausing behind him in the doorframe, head tilting in consideration.

“Franky said it was a surprise for everyone.”

With a grumble, he snatched the mug of coffee in his First Mate’s hand, downed the entire bitter concoction, and marched towards those doors to yank them open, stepping through like a man on a mission.

Once the sight registered, however, he came to an abrupt halt in surprise.

The entire interior was one giant room, the ceiling vaulted high over the floor from where he stood at the top of a staircase, empty except for another set opposite that must lead to the Sunny’s main deck.

Well, _almost_ empty.

“SO COOL!”

Luffy’s voice bounced off the metallic walls as he bounced down said stairs, Franky grinning proudly while leading everyone else after.

“Isn’t it _super_? Not only does it act as a secondary docking for the Polar Tang, but there’s all this extra space for our crews to really go wild!”

Murmurs rose up at Kid’s back as Heat and Wire peeked in, jolting his hungover brain so the redhead started taking the steps four at a time to join the other crews below.

“Yeah, that’s _just_ what we need.” Hikari drawled, hands on jean-clad hips and in a dark red little wrap-top that gave him an amazing view down her cleavage. “But at least we can concentrate it away from the ships here.”

“There’s quite a bit of unused space below us.” Law mused, glancing around as Luffy and Chopper began running in circles, Ariel clinging to the Zoan’s Walk Point and giggling. “Storage?”

“Rockets!” The cyborg cheerfully answered, striking a pose, and Kid swallowed down a laugh at their matching unimpressed expressions as most of their crews went starry-eyed.

“Is he serious?”

“Unfortunately…”

“I called it!” Merry shouted, holding out her hand to Usopp with a grin. “Pay up!”

“I never agreed to that bet!”

“GIZAO!”

Kid only had a moment to brace himself before Luffy Rocketed right into his chest like a damn cannonball, nearly knocking him over and definitely punching the air out of his lungs, wheezing out a growl as rubbery limbs looped around in an octopus-like hug.

“Fucking hell, Straw Hat!”

"Damn it, Luffy." Zoro sighed, and Hikari about face-palmed.

"Luffy, I already told you once this morning not to do that."

"Torao and Gizao don't mind." The smaller captain giggled, and damn, that grin was almost blinding up close.

"Don't talk for me, asshole!!" He growled, swatting at Luffy and missing as the other climbed around to cling to his back like an actual monkey. “When the fuck did you even build this thing, anyway?!”

“After everyone went to sleep.” Franky answered, grinning. “Well, I kept Gina up for a bit. Best assistant I’ve ever had!”

Said Iron Dragon raised a thumbs-up from where she had flopped over the bottom steps, not even bothering to look over.

“Do I have to institute a curfew for when you can bother the kids?” Hikari warned, and the cyborg went very pale before shaking his head. “Good. Any reason you felt the need to build something like this all of a sudden?”

“We asked him to.”

Pausing in trying to catch a too-amused-for-this-shit Luffy, Kid glanced over as the pinkette turned, brow quirking as Usopp was shoved forward by his co-conspirators like a lamb to the slaughter.

“It’s just…”

The sniper blew out a breath, squaring his shoulders and holding his knocking knees steady.

“We want you to train us!”

Hikari actually seemed _surprised_ , as if the thought had never crossed her mind, which set a twitch through his jaw.

“Being unable to help against Admiral Kizaru was an eye-opening experience.” Robin explained, petting down Naia’s hair as the dolphin-mer clicked worriedly. “Given your near-death experience…”

“We want to fight, instead of just watch!” Lily burst, stubbornly glaring at Hikari's exasperated look.

"Why me? Zoro's been fine this whole time."

"We want to get stronger, not _die_!" Nami and Usopp immediately wailed, and she considered this for a moment before nodding.

"Fair point."

"OI!"

Kid cackled at that, and Zoro glared at him, grumpy as a poked black bear, while Hikari bit down on a smile.

“It’s not a bad idea…” She mused, and Kid could tell that it was one already rolling around in that pretty head for a while. “We all need to be a lot stronger if we want to survive in the New World.”

Those eyes flashed gold, a weight to her gaze as it swept over the room, and it sent a wave of goosebumps over Kid’s skin.

“Think you can handle it?”

Oh, that sounded like a _challenge_ , not so much as if she thought he would fail but rather like she was daring him to do even _better_ , and that was enough to wash away the worst of his hangover.

"Bring it on." Kid declared in a rush of adrenaline, and all three crews raised their voices in agreement, voices crashing off the walls.

"Yeah!"

"We can do it!"

“I would move heaven and earth if it meant returning to bask in your radiance!” Sanji trilled, noodling in circles, and Hikari rolled her eyes as a tick started in Kid’s jaw.

“Back off, shitty cook!” Zoro snapped back, bristling like a disrespected cat, and the cook did a full one-eighty, practically spitting sparks from his cigarette.

“Got something to say, shitty swordsman?!”

“Yeah, starting with how far up your ass you want my foot to-”

THWACK!

CRASH!

“It’s too early for you to be starting this shit.” The pinkette scoffed, stepping over both downed men without a glance and causing Kid’s heart to BA-DUMP hard against his ribs. "We need to actually set sail, you know. Nami, Bepo, you got a Log, right?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The orange-haired woman answered, Bepo nodding.

"Yes! Sumimasen…"

"Why are you apologizing?!" Shachi and Penguin burst, rounding on their navigator-

SMASH!

BAM!

"How's that supposed to help?" Hikari scolded, patting the mink's arm with a much softer smile as the pair rubbed new, painful lumps. "Thanks, Bepo. We need to get Vivi back to Alabasta as soon as possible, so we need to set out before breakfast."

There was no mistaking the stricken, awkward expressions that came upon most of the Straw Hats, Luffy ducking behind him with a squeak.

"...Well, that's always a wonderful sign." She drawled, hands on hips, and even Robin avoided meeting her eyes. "Something you all want to tell me?"

"Well, you see…" Vivi murmured, fidgeting with her hands and shuffling from foot to foot and pointedly looking anywhere but at the pink-haired dragon. "I, uh...I decided to stay."

Hikari only gave a slow, reptilian blink, pupils visibly slits in her brightening eyes.

"...I don't think you understand." She said after a long moment, tone even, and more than one person stepped back. "You see, bluebird…"

Vivi squeaked at suddenly being yanked down by her collar, eyes wide.

"I didn't travel across the desert twice, get stuck in an electric chair, or nearly get blown up _so you could go AND PUT YOURSELF AND YOUR ENTIRE COUNTRY IN DANGER BY BEING **STUPID**_!"

"Um, Kari-chan…" Nami squeaked out, shrinking under that golden gaze when it ticked her way. "Alabasta is _already_ kinda in danger, since they went Revolutionary after Enies Lobby…"

"...What."

"My father cut ties with the World Government after seeing the footage you broadcasted." Vivi explained, straightening up quickly once the grip was loosened on her clothes. "So, really, I'm much safer here than back in Alabasta…"

Hikari scowled, but just sighed, rubbing at her forehead as if a headache was building.

"I'm surrounded by fucking morons."

"So she can stay?" Luffy piped up, peeking out from under Kid's arm.

“Well, I can’t send her back _now_.” She grumbled, glancing towards Lily. “I suppose you want to stick around, too?”

The bluenette puffed up her cheeks defiantly, and Hikari rolled her eyes.

“Anyone else want to let me in on who’s joining, or am I supposed to guess?”

“Franky is our new shipwright.” Zoro voiced, shoving himself upright, and the cyborg pulled a pose.

“And we want to stay, too!” Ariel voiced, waving her hand enthusiastically as Lassoo hid behind his Walk Point partner.

“Why is it that when I help save somebody, they insist on throwing themselves back into even bigger danger?” The pinkette muttered, resigned. “Fine. But we’re still leaving.”

“You don’t want to stay a little longer?” Bepo wondered, immediately ducking his head with a ‘sorry’, though Kid was just as confused.

This was her home island, right?

But the crack of old pain across her face, just for a split second, was a damn sobering reminder that ‘home’ had never been a safe place for her to stay.

“It’s fine.” She assured, masking it too easily. “We have to go, before the Navy decides to send another Admiral.”

 _That_ got everyone moving, racing up both sets of stairs to ready for departure, and Kid nearly gave himself whiplash when rubbery arms snapped out to grab onto the Sunny-side doorway.

“Gum Gum-”

“OI-”

“ROCKET!”

Well, at least the door had been left open…

Luffy’s laughter was cut short when a hand wrapped around his neck, Kid levering himself up with a glare off the grass, forehead sore from where he connected with the mast.

“Damn it, Luffy!” Hikari growled as she hopped over the railing, his hackles rising as Law’s laughter rose after her. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that?!”

The younger Paramecia wheezed around what might have been ‘sorry’, turning red, and Kid released him after a moment of contemplation.

Allies, right?

Glancing up, he noticed a couple changes had been wrought on the Thousand Sunny overnight as well, curious.

There was some sort of access hatch on the deck now, on the bow-side, and expertly hidden flush against floorboards and walls were pipes of glass almost as wide as Law was tall, with clever little hatch-doors that swung open on an axis and closed almost seamlessly when Naia dropped in with nary a splash of seawater.

Kid realized then the aquarium must have been expanded, likely to accommodate the little mers alongside whatever fish got stuffed inside the day before.

But the biggest change was the cherry blossom tree on the stern-side deck.

Towering over the tangerine-bearing trees that had been there before, branches spread wide, the tree rustled in vibrant rainbow shades against a nearly-black bark, this ancient-looking thing seeming to stand guard over the little grove and garden.

“That rabbit mink brought it.”

Zoro’s low words turned his attention around as the swordsman stopped just to his right, watching Luffy Rocket off towards his brother with a happy little shout as Momoo surfaced with a curious sound.

“It reminds Kari of her mom.”

Oh.

Watching as said pinkette spoke quietly with Sabo, pulling something from a grinning Luffy’s straw hat for him to take, he could hardly blame anyone for bringing the damn plant.

Not like she would ever set foot on Estrella to get something like that.

“Zoro, get the anchor already!” Nami barked, and the swordsman cursed, rushing to do just that as Kid snickered.

“Once my comrades arrive, I’ll be heading out to meet up with Ace.” Sabo spoke up, loud enough to be heard across the deck as Kid started across to his own ship. “Be careful out there, and call if you need anything, okay Luffy?”

“Okay!”

Killer turned his head as the red-haired Paramecia approached, masked head tilting in question, and he scowled back, ignoring the crew-mates lingering nearby as he dropped on deck.

Yeah, he let Luffy get away with that stunt, but only because it was too much trouble to beat anything close to a threat into that rubbery skull...

And what, did they expect him to _not_ think it was hot how Hikari just threw her weight around like that?

Really, did they not know him?

Kid shoved down the unease from Zoro’s subdued words, pointedly _not_ glancing back at the rainbow-tree as sails unfurled.

It was time to go, anyway.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leaving Estrella behind was like watching a weight lift off Hikari’s shoulders, and with that weight went the last of the tension among the Straw Hat Pirates, though they failed to devolve into the chaos Law was expecting.

It was as if there was a stark boundary suddenly in place, and all of them were carefully skirting it, not daring to so much as toe too close.

Judging by how Franky had reacted to just a subtle warning that morning, and how swiftly Hikari had handled Zoro and Sanji, Law was starting to understand why.

At least _someone_ had a handle on things…

Slapping footsteps pulled his attention away, watching Luffy race down one of the aquarium pipes, giggling and shouting with glee as he followed Ariel in her continued pursuit of whatever poor sea life had caught her attention, leaping over a napping Zoro with Naia curled up on his lap, clicking softly.

Rifling through a newspaper, Hikari leaned back in a reclined lawn chair, Law’s eyes lingering at all the soft skin left bare in a little white bikini and privately grateful for the very logical reason she had chosen to wear it, as Kid obviously was, sprawled across a chair and fiddling with some sort of mechanical device in dexterous fingers.

Everyone had converged on the Sunny’s deck, which made sense, given all the comforts Franky had designed.

Penguin and Shachi were in a very energetic conversation with Usopp, Heat listening in as schematics were spread across the grass, likely of the weapons the Straw Hat sniper had made for his crew, proudly showing off his own Kabuto.

Ikkaku was already bonding with Nami, Vivi and Robin, sitting around a round table with whatever fruity drinks Sanji had happily provided.

Said cook was surprisingly getting along very well with Killer, trading tips and recipes while rather delightful smells wafted out of the open galley door, which had Karoo kicking his leg with a squeaky snore, Lassoo huffing at the shift and stretching as Kilala hissed a warning from his neck.

With Lily’s back resting against her own, Gina was putting together some hexagonal contraption made out of her iron, a hybrid Funkfreed wrapping around Merry when she tried to scurry past with a knife, the Zoan whining when it was plucked from her hands and the blade crunched between sharp fangs.

Lily and Chopper were going through a spread of textbooks, pens and highlighters in hand, murmuring as they seemed to focus on certain bits and phrases to compile, while Franky had dragged off Seiuchi, Fukuro, Jakouchi, Necro and Thrash to properly tour the connected ships, a “SUPER!” echoing faintly every now and then.

Everyone seemed to be relaxing, given the Grand Line was fairly calm, and Law settled more comfortably against Bepo’s bulk, Kikoku laid against his shoulder.

A happy little chirp cut through his thoughts, and Law tipped his head back to see Sora land on the mink’s belly like a cat, wings mantled and ears twitching, leaning forward when he snorted awake to rub noses.

“Garchu!”

He lit up, wrapping the young dragon up in a bear-hug to nuzzle her properly, and the entire thing was criminally adorable.

Honestly, Law was liable to get diabetes within the week at this rate.

“Ah, there you are.”

Hikari sat up as a News Coo landed on the railing, and Law made a concerted effort not to watch when some beli were pulled from her cleavage in exchange for that day’s paper.

“Thanks, take care of yourself, okay?”

The bird gave an enthusiastic salute before taking off, leaving her to unfold the pages, a low whistle escaping as she began to smile.

“Someone’s _embarrassed_ …”

“Are those bounties?!” Luffy practically squealed, Rocketing himself over to tangle around her torso with sparkling eyes. “Did they go up again?!”

"Oh, yeah." She hummed, the crews now at attention. "Straw Hat Monkey D Luffy, nine-hundred-thousand beli."

Said Paramecia beamed, clearly beyond proud of himself as Nami sputtered at the triple in bounty.

"Surgeon of Death Trafalgar Law, nine-hundred-thousand beli.”

Law quirked a brow, honestly surprised at the more than quadruple increase in his own.

“Huh, looks like they came up with a better epithet…Carnage Eustass Kid, nine-hundred-thousand beli.”

“Finally!” The redhead cackled, pleased, and Hikari huffed out a laugh.

“Demon Hunter Roronoa Zoro, that sounds fitting...Nine-hundred-thousand beli.”

Said swordsman smirked, Naia jerking awake at the laugh that shook his chest, as Nami dropped her face into both hands.

“Dragon Princess Dragneel Hikari, nine-hundred-thousand.”

“Those are some SUPER bounties!” Franky crowed, leaping down from the connector to strike a pose on the railing as his fellow engineers and shipwrights peeked after him.

“Oh no…” Usopp wheezed, eyes wide and horrified, as Nami started knocking her forehead against the table.

“It certainly seems that Admiral Kizaru is taking you seriously.” Robin mused, chin resting on a palm.

“And didn’t enjoy having to explain to Sengoku that he got beat up by rookie pirates.” Hikari snickered, apparently ignoring how Luffy burrowed between her breasts with a giggle.

“Considering what we just did, I’m surprised the amount isn’t higher.” Killer noted, leaning against the railing overhead as Sanji blew out a fresh cloud of smoke.

“We _did_ kill a World Noble, after all.”

“Sengoku won’t want that to get out.” Law pointed out, Sora flopping on Bepo’s round belly with a churr. “After all, that would be admitting that we fought off an admiral after committing the worst possible sin against the World Government. If an alliance of rookie pirates can do that, what would stop anyone else from doing the same?”

Hikari glanced over with a smile, pleased, and his heart did a little flip.

“Exactly. With all the countries already pulling support or starting revolutions, the Navy can’t afford to admit that three rookie pirate crews managed to kill a World Noble and survive when everyone knows even looking at one too long means bringing an admiral down on your head. Hell, they probably don’t want to admit that to the _World Nobles_. They’re not exactly understanding bosses.”

“Still a hell of a jump.” Zoro spoke up, slitting an eye open.

“Kizaru’s a petty bitch.” She drawled, Gina cackling as Vivi choked on her drink.

“Kari-chan!”

“I’m not sorry for speaking the truth.”

Law swallowed down a laugh at how Usopp and Nami despaired, along with quite a few of his own and Kid’s crews.

“It looks like everyone got an increase.” Hikari continued, unruffled. “Massacre Soldier Killer, four-hundred-thousand. Black Leg Sanji, a hundred-and-fifty-four-thousand.”

The cook smiled around his cigarette, and the Kid Pirate’s First Mate tipped his head in a similar gesture.

“Nico Robin, a hundred-and-sixty-thousand. Cyborg Franky, a hundred-and-thirty-two-thousand.”

Said cyborg released another “SUPER!” as Robin smiled.

“Sniper King Usopp, a hundred-and-twenty-thousand. Weather Witch Nami…”

Hikari’s expression turned decidedly unimpressed, ignoring Usopp’s sniffling.

“...Seriously.”

“I THOUGHT IT WAS FOR A MAGAZINE, OKAY!?!”

With a heavy sigh, she kept going.

“Weather Witch Nami, a hundred-and-twenty-thousand.”

Vivi pat her girlfriend on the back as she whimpered, Hikari frowning at the next bounties.

“Red Steel Redfox Gina, a hundred-thousand. Script Mage McGarden Lily, a hundred-thousand. Monster Doctor Tony-Tony Chopper, a hundred-thousand. Sky Sorceress Marvell Sora, a hundred-thousand.”

Gina reached a hand back to high-five Chopper as Lily rolled her eyes with a smile, and Bepo snorted in surprise when Sora sat up suddenly, wings spread as she chirped happily.

“That’s not exactly a good thing.” Hikari warned, Ariel peeking out of the aquarium-pipes with a starfish plopped on her head. “These are big jumps, and make pretty much all of us Supernova…”

“As long as everyone knows who the top dog is, doesn’t bother me.” Kid brushed off, Law rolling his eyes.

“Mixed with the footage of Enies Lobby, it makes us a clear threat, but also a target. Bounty hunters will be interested in the payday, lesser crews will come after us for the boost in their reputations…”

“Then we’ll cut them down.” Zoro decided, shrugging.

“That’s...not a comforting answer.” Penguin voiced, Shachi nodding.

“I’ll punch ‘em, too!” Luffy assured, and Hikari face-palmed, which Law could sympathize with. “Hey, there’s one more!”

The pinkette hummed, picking up one last poster.

“Bepo, wanted for...a thousand? What the fuck?”

“Hey, it went up!” Shachi cheered, wilting under her glare. “Um…”

“Bepo’s a _mink_.” The pinkette argued, horribly affronted on said mink’s behalf. “He’s trained in a highly-specialized martial art, is capable of _generating electricity naturally_ , and literally has a Sulong form! What part of that is only worth a thousand beli?!”

“...I only knew one of those things.” Clione admitted, Ikkaku nodding.

“Did you know he can generate electricity?” Uni wondered, Seiuchi, Fukuro and Jakouchi shaking their heads in unison.

“Bepo?” Law voiced, glancing back at his First Mate, who blinked back in surprise.

"Sumimasen…" Bepo automatically apologized, and with a SNAP, Luffy had shot across the deck, nearly knocking the air out of Law's lungs by slingshotting a startled Hikari into his chest, the mink rolling away to absorb the impact as Sora leaped out of range.

"Don't be sad, Bepo!" The rubber captain assured, arms wrapping tight around a befuddled Bepo. "Kari will fix it! You'll have a really cool bounty soon, too!"

Said pinkette straightened with a growl, and Law stiffened at the fact that she was now straddling his stomach, hands having automatically dropped to steady her at the hips and somewhat entranced by the bare skin revealed under the bottom strap of her bikini top.

“Damn it, Luffy!”

“But you are, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am, that doesn’t mean you throw me across the ship!”

Luffy giggled, not at all repentant, and she scoffed in annoyance, leaning back-

Only to pause, apparently just registering Law’s hold and turning a pretty red.

“Sorry! Are you okay?”

Heart going BA-DUMP hard against his ribs, hyper-aware of the silky skin that gave just right under his palms and the soft brush of curls against the bare skin of his forearms, he had to pull on every drop of hard-won professionalism to keep his expression neutral.

“I’m fine.”

It would hardly take a genius to tell that Kid was wishing he was in this position instead, but Law paid no mind to that- _or how Penguin and Shachi practically fainting at just the thought_ -as the pinkette stood, that blush creeping down as his hands brushed the curve of her thighs.

If the rather stark image in his mind’s eye of pinning her down and marking her neck with his teeth was any indication, Law had a much bigger problem to focus on.

Fuck.


End file.
